Helping Lleucu

Sometimes you hear of the treatment of a child and you realise just how sick, corrupt and indifferent to real need our society has become. Carolyn Morgan had arranged a sponsored ride on Sunday, 12th July starting at 10.30 am to help Lleucu.

I knew that Lleucu, (she has a healthy twin), born in April, 2007, was very ill and her parents desperately needed support, financial and otherwise.

That was about all I knew and, of course, I sponsored one of the rides.

That could have been the end of my concern.

Then I read what Leucu’s problems were, why her parents were so desperate for help and why others were doing so much to try to raise money.

The first sentence of Tracy Griffiths and Allwyd Edwards, Lleucu’s parents appeal, was an apology and it was maybe the most poignant apology I have ever read.

Here is that sentence: “I hope you will excuse me writing to you to appeal for your help like this.”

Leucu’s bones prematurely age, her condition causes Epilepsy, the brain does not develop normally in the womb, she has a heart murmur, a narrow windpipe which causes difficulty in feeding and makes her prone to chest infections.

And that is not all the disabilities and suffering this rare and truly dreadful condition inflicts on this little child. What is not mentioned either is the emotional agony of her parents; the hurt that falls on them every day as they care for little Leucu.

Leucu’s parents want to help Lleucu “lead as normal a life as possible” and they, amongst much else need £18,000 for a lift, a special bath costs £8,600, a hoist at “around £3,000.”

This is not a letter complaint. They only explain. They want Lleucu to integrate as much as possible within the family, they want her to continue interacting with her twin sister, they want to pursue as normal a routine as possible for as long as possible.

They say they are desperate – “she is very precious to Adwen and ourselves and we want her to be able to give her everything she needs for her safety and comfort.”

Their financial problem is that after applying for a grant, to modify their home, the Local Authority has told them that “the grant for such work is capped for this year at £36,000 and that they will not be issuing any discretionary top up grants.”

So what are Tracy and Allwyd doing. They have begun a “Leucu Fund” and are planning to raise money from raffles, auctions, social events, bingo and anything else we can think of."

Try to imagine the work and anxiety of raising money, bit by bit as well as caring for Leucu.

They need another £26,000 –less than the furniture for many MPs second homes, or far less than just one of Prince Charles’ flights with his retinue of servants, or the tax funded £600,000 pension for some banker.

Or, even, the extra £3 billion extra demanded for war ships running over budget, or Trident, which a long list of Defence Experts say we can neither afford nor need. (Note: a £1billion is £1,000,000,000.) Doesn’t make the £26,000 extra for Leucu seem too much, does it?

But Tracy and Allwyd are not complaining. And their very lack of complaint has a maturity about it that is alien to so many who help themselves to public money with the cry, “we did nothing wrong, it is within the rules.”

Back to the apology from Tracy and Allwyd Edwards. Here is how they end their letter of appeal for Leucu: “We thank you for the time you have taken to read about Lleucu, and again, apologise for approaching you like this. I hope you will be able to help in our plight.”

It is not you who should be apologising, Tracy and Allwyd, it us, for allowing our society with its perverted values to treat you you like this. The way you and your little daughter have been treated shames us all.