SSAFA and ABF support brave young Elsie

24 August 2022

Elsie’s father, Sergeant James Nugent, is a serving Royal Engineer of 14 years. His family found themselves unable to afford the extensive home modifications necessary to enable his daughter, Elsie, to live a normal family life. SSAFA were able to step in and provide a dedicated Caseworker who helped James to apply for the funding he and his family urgently needed.

Elsie was a baby when she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, which severely impacted her ability to move unaided. She was given only 18 months to live and spent the first two years of her life in and out of hospital.

Luckily for Elsie, she has a great spirit and she managed to hold on long enough for a new treatment method to be introduced in the UK. This means she is now in receipt of gene treatment, which has improved her condition from terminal to life limiting, meaning that she can live many more years to come. Brave Elsie needs a lumbar puncture every six months and is a lifelong wheelchair user, but she is determined to live life to the full.

When she was small, her parents managed fine, but as Elsie grew, both parents sustained back injuries whilst lifting her in the bathroom and getting her to bed.

James adapted his home as much as he could afford to, but it wasn’t enough to keep everyone safe from injury. Elsie needed a ground floor bedroom with a wet-room and other modifications so she could get around the house and garden in her wheelchair and have a little freedom.

James requested funding support, with the help of SSAFA Caseworker Ted Williams.

SSAFA Hastings & Rother Division worked collaboratively with the Royal Engineers Association, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the Royal British Legion, the Isabel Blackman Foundation and Independence at Home to cover the cost of the adaptations.

Ted Williams said, “It was great to work with this young family who were trying their best to support Elsie. I am proud to say that, in this case, SSAFA and the Armed forces community came up trumps and the result can be seen in the faces of this great little family. Elsie now has so much independence and can live with dignity.”

Elsie now has her own space to sleep, enjoy, and conduct personal care. The front and back garden is ramped, levelled and accessible for Elsie to use independently in her electric wheelchair, enabling her full freedom of movement. Most importantly, she has her independence as she grows towards being a teenager and an adult, which is imperative for Elsie’s mental health and well-being.

Elsie’s father, James said, “Words cannot put into context what this means to our family. Elsie now has her own space and independence. We cannot thank you enough, this truly is life changing.”

James went onto say “I want to thank Ted Williams, Caseworker for SSAFA, without his hard work and determination our case would not have reached the charities and funding would never have been obtained.”