'Our boy has been stuck in hospital for two years'

Nigel and Julie say their world changed overnight after their son suffered a stroke during emergency surgery

The parents of a teenager who has been in hospital for two years have said they are desperate to get him home.

Danny, from Freckleton, Lancashire, was a healthy, happy 13-year-old when he started showing symptoms, which doctors initially believed were caused by a cold.

Further tests detected a brain tumour in November 2022, and Danny was blue-lighted to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital for emergency surgery.

However he was left severely disabled after suffering a stroke during that life-saving operation, and needs round-the-clock care.

Now his parents, Nigel and Julie, have asked for the help of the public to get him home.

Nigel said: "You don't realise you've got the world until it's gone.

"Your whole life changes literally at a toss of a coin, a flick of a switch.

"Everything you have ever dreamt about with him, you know, being a young man and all that, everything changes."

Danny was a healthy, active boy until he started to experience symptoms in 2022 which were initially put down to a cold

Danny, a big Manchester City fan, was described by his parents as very active before his stroke - enjoying riding his bike and being a member of his local cubs group.

Nigel said: "Then suddenly not to have that, to stand outside here and wait to hear his scooter come rattling on the footpath and rattling on the grids and it's not there any more, words don't describe."

Julie said now Danny was unable to walk, talk, sit up unassisted or feed himself and required breathing support at night.

"It's just heartbreaking to see him like that", she said.

Julie has been living in special accommodation on the hospital site.

The couple said extensive modifications were needed to be able to bring Danny home.

Nigel said Fylde Council had drawn up plans to adapt their garage for Danny's needs, which would be connected to the house by a covered walkway.

"We said, 'no it's not going to work'", Nigel said.

"He's our family and we want him in the house.

"It's quite obvious we need to move, and we need to move to a house that can be adapted."

'So grateful'

The family said funding under a Disabled Facilities Grant did not cover the cost of moving to a bigger house, so they had started their own crowdfunding campaign to raise the £100,000 shortfall.

Fylde Council said it "recognised the restrictions" of the grant but was working closely with the family and with the occupational therapy team at Danny's hospital to find a solution.

If the family decided to move to a new home the council was ready to assist with applying for funding to make any necessary adaptations, it added.

Julie's running group is also planning an unusual fundraising drive involving pushing a bed 22 miles from Fleetwood to Freckleton.

Nigel said: "We're so humbled and we're so grateful to people for doing what they're doing.

"Without the local community, we would be sunk."

Nigel said Danny had been boosted by his first trip outside the hospital in two years with a recent visit to the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.

He thanked the museum staff who he said had "truly brightened up Dan's day and broadened his horizons".

Nigel said his son "enjoyed being out and about in the city" and watching a science show.

"To see the little glimpses of the old Dan coming back, makes us all extremely emotional and proud at the same time," he added.