Ada’s parents want to help their baby “live life to the fullest”
A devoted Hull dad whose baby daughter can only see light and whose health is rapidly deteriorating is desperately trying to raise money to give her a better life
Baby Ada’s parents, Drew Millard and Ella Dean, are trying to raise £20,000 for the surgery to remove or reduce the cyst as well as ongoing support after the procedure. With a kind friend starting a GoFundMe, donators have already raised over £6,500 out of the £20,000 goal.
Drew, who hails from Hull and works locally at Tesco in St Stephens, is hoping to raise the money needed for the procedures but also help Ada have a good life post-surgery. As well as raising money, the Hull dad wants to raise more awareness and open conversations about arachnoid cysts.
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Currently, the family attends three to four appointments a week in Leeds where baby Ada is receiving treatment. At the moment her parents live in York, meaning they must travel there multiple times a week as well as sometimes find hotels to stay overnight.
Ada’s family is also currently looking into private healthcare after the pressure on the NHS caused vital appointments to be pushed back as far as eight weeks. The parents stressed that eight weeks is a long time, especially when waiting for vital scans and procedures.
There have also been talks of referring Ada to London to a specialised neurology unit which has more advanced equipment and capabilities, it is feared that costs are only going to increase. Ella and Drew are also hoping to find a stable home for both girls to live to reduce travel time and the disruption that hospital visits can cause, as well as adapting the home so Ada can navigate the world safely.
The money raised will go towards post-operation care, development support such as sensory toys, educational resources, travel, and hotel expenses as well as household adaptations to make Ada as comfortable as possible.
Ada’s rapidly growing cyst has severe effects causing her brain damage, seizures, cerebral vision impairment meaning she cannot see anything other than light and cognitive damage reducing her ability to move.
Speaking to her adoring mum Ella, she spoke about her daughter, Ada, and what the donations mean to her family: “Ada is full of character. She’s one of the happiest people I know.
“She’s so smiley and giggly and content even with everything that life has thrown at her, she loves audiobooks, especially Winnie the Pooh. The happiest point of her day always involves listening to stories and laughing at the silly sounds her big sister can make.”
“The donations to us are to give Ada the best chance in life. We want her face to always smile and always giggle. We want her to get to live her life to the fullest and for her big sister to always have her best friend.”
“To us as parents, your donations are providing us with the chance to give Ada the chance at life that she deserves. We are honestly so grateful and humbled by the power of humanity when it comes together to make a difference. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
To read more about Ada’s story as well as donate to the cause, you can find the GoFundMe here.