Baby Matthew Comes Home

Matthew Shepard is home after spending his first 16 months of life at Great Ormond Street Hospital. He and twin sister, Susanne-Marie, were born 16 weeks prematurely, at only 25 weeks gestation.

Susanne-Marie has been able to go home, although she requires a lot of care and is often unwell, but Matthew suffers from chronic lung disease and floppy cartilage in his breathing tubes. He needs a respirator to breathe through his tracheostomy and is fed through a gastrostomy tube. It is hoped that his airways will strengthen and be self-supporting by the age of two.

To enable Matthew to receive the 24 hour nursing care he needs in his own home, Children With Special Needs Foundation has funded the £16,000 to add a 12ft by 12ft extension onto the family home in Frimley. Generous donations were made by Garner's Carpets of Camberley, children and parents of Clewborough House schools in Frimley Green and Camberley, SC Johnson Wax employees, ALNO Kitchens, REL of Wokingham and Camberley hairdresser's Kerry Roberts.

Ian and Graham Wooldridge of Bagshot managed the project and were delighted so many trades people donated not only the time but the materials to complete the project within budget. It made a family's dream of being together complete.