Sheffield mum raises money to give her disabled son the gift of a voice

Ellen Thomas, aged 35, is trying to raise £4,000 towards an Eye Gaze device for her son Leonidas, aged 13, who suffers with severe mental and physical disabilities.

Leonidas’ conditions have limited his speech development, and he struggles to convey his wants and needs, or talk to younger brothers Naffel, aged nine, and De-Andre, aged two.

This device would, for the first time in his life, give Leonidas the ability to communicate fully with his family.

Ellen said: “What bothers me is that sometimes we just don’t know what Leonidas wants, but this will give him a voice to express his needs clearly, without us playing a guessing game. He is very close with his brothers and they do talk in their own way, but for Leonidas to be able to communicate properly with them would be an amazing moment for me.”

Leonidas was born with both spina bifida and hydrocephalus - an accumulation of spinal fluid within the brain. Only eight hours after his birth, Leonidas was undergoing major surgery, and at five weeks old he suffered a brain haemorrhage. He was placed onto life support, and doctors recommended end of life care, but Ellen ignored this advice. Incredibly, Leonidas pulled through, but the haemorrhage left him with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, which has impeded his speech significantly.

Leonidas still loves being around people, attending the Sheffield Boxing Centre with his stepdad Sam Sheedy, aged 32, a former Commonwealth Middleweight Champion. However, the Eye Gaze device would enable Leonidas to socialise independently. He would be able to use his eyes to control the device, selecting symbols which would then string together sentences.

The family have already raised £1,400 through raffles, bake sales and a crowdfunder at https://uk.gofundme.com/f/leonidas-communication-device

Although there is still some way to go to reach their target, Ellen has been touched by people’s generosity.

She said: “It is nervewracking to ask strangers for help, especially with what is going on in the world.Leonidas isn’t the only child that needs help, but the kindness from people has been amazing.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.