Rustington's brave Molly appeals for village's help
But brave Molly Green is far from your average 11-year-old girl. During the course of her young life, she has been rushed to hospital an astounding 65 times – with a dozen visits seeing her lying critically ill in intensive care.
Molly, who lives with her mother and two younger sisters at their home in Barwick Close, Rustington, suffers from a range of ailments, including a debilitating respiratory condition which affects her ability to swallow and results in her being frequently diagnosed with pneumonia.
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Hide AdOn top of this, at the tender age of four, Molly’s father, David, died suddenly after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, leaving her mother, Nichola, without a husband, and her two baby sisters without a father
“It was truly horrible,” recounted Nichola, 44. “Molly was in intensive care just before her dad was rushed to hospital and then just after he died.
“I was left with a disabled four-year-old to care for and two six-month-old twins. Words just can’t describe how lost I felt.
“It was a very dark time for us all. I don’t think Molly really understood what had happened. One minute her dad was there, the next he wasn’t.”
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Hide AdHowever, in spite of her condition and traumatic start to life, it hasn’t stopped Molly wanting what most adolescent girls seek – a place of privacy where they can just get away and relax.
Molly and her family have now launched an appeal to try to give her the freedom and quiet she so thoroughly deserves.
The family hopes to raise £20,000 to provide her with a ground floor bedroom conversion – Arun District Council has already awarded a substantial grant for the project but has asked the family to raise a percentage of the costs to pay for the redesign.
The dining room is to be converted into a bedroom, equipped with an en-suite bathroom, as well as ramps throughout the house to help Molly access other rooms.
To find out how to help, search ‘Helping Molly’s House’ on Facebook or email [email protected]