An eighties-inspired fancy dress night to help raise funds to adapt a family home for eight-year-old Morgan Krisciunas, who has severe medical needs, is being held at the Red Post Inn, Peasedown St John on 22nd August.

Morgan’s parents, Charlotte Cox and Leon Krisciunas, have been trying to get an extension built on their home to enable Morgan to have a ground floor bedroom and bathroom in order to make life easier for them, however, obstacles in planning have left them with a £15,000 shortfall for the work. Family friends are hoping that the eighties night at the Red Post will help raise the funds needed to get the work completed.

Morgan, who is eight-years-old, needs to be carried up and downstairs to the bathroom and his bedroom, which is now even more difficult following major surgery he had last week to release the tendons in his legs and ankles. He will now be in casts for six weeks and is wearing braces at night to keep his legs straight. Because Morgan is distressed at being sore, the whole family is currently sleeping downstairs with him.

At six-months-old, he was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, he suffers from epilepsy, is visually impaired and has been fed via a gastrostomy peg since he was two-years-old after countless chest infections and one admittance to intensive care for pneumonia.

In June 2013, Morgan was fitted with a baclofen pump. This surgery was life-changing for him and his muscle tone improved, but unfortunately, after two weeks, Morgan developed an infection due to the metal used in the pump and it had to be removed. A second pump was fitted on New Year’s Eve 2013 but has not had the positive impact on Morgan that the first pump did.

The eight-year-old spent seventeen days in hospital (fourteen of which were intensive care) in June this year. During his recent stay in hospital, Morgan used the Sensory Unit funded by Time is Precious to keep him calm.

The family were looking forward to an extension being built on their home that would provide Morgan with a ground floor bedroom and wet room, which would mean that he wouldn’t have to be carried upstairs to get a bath and to go to bed.

The extension was due to be completed by Christmas, but due to delays, the costs of the works have increased by £15,000 and the grant the family have for the works does not cover this increase. As Morgan is nearly 4ft tall and as his mum is only 5ft 3in, this is going to be another very testing time for the family.

Bridie Marshall, a former youth worker in Peasedown St John, has been campaigning to help the family raise the funds needed. She said: “The whole family are fighters and have overcome so many hurdles, but this latest obstacle to be put in their way leaves the family at breaking point, in his mum’s words: “There is no longer a light at the end of our tunnel just a future of uncertainty that Morgan doesn’t deserve.”

“The extension is not a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity for this family. The new bedroom that is to be created for Morgan isn’t huge and the family don’t want gold plated taps, they just want their home adapted to improve Morgan’s quality of life.

“Carrying Morgan up and down stairs and lifting him in and out of the bath is a painful and potentially dangerous situation for everyone. £15,000 isn’t a great deal of money – we are looking for support to ensure that Morgan and his family get the extension and the best quality of life they can have.”

The family has a gofund me page, which can be accessed: here

The eighties themed charity night at the Red Post Inn, Peasedown St John, starts at 8 p.m. on 22nd August. It is being organised by Alana Sandall, a friend of Morgan’s mum, Charlotte, and part-time Bar Manager at the Red Post, Peasedown St John. She is being fully backed by Landlord and Landlady, Simon and Megan Sandall. The evening is free and the organisers are encouraging eighties fancy dress.

Alana said: “Come along to the Red Post and let’s all pull together and make this happen for this lovely, caring family. There will be prizes for the best dressed, bottles of champagne to be won and lots of other goodies. This event is being put on with absolutely no cost to the family and the Red Post is supplying the music, decorations and prizes.

“We will do everything we can in order to help Morgan and his family, and we are looking to hold a fundraising quiz night and skittles night as well as the eighties event planned. We are really thankful for the help of the local press in raising awareness.”