Community rallies to support family struck by Covid-19

A campaign to help an ‘amazing’  Westbury family left devastated by Covid-19, has raised over £7,300. 

Lee Tilley is in a coma and fighting for his life, while mum Karen, who also has the virus, is at home caring for their three children, including severely disabled daughter, Josselin. The couple’s eldest son has also contracted Coronavirus. 

Josselin (14) has a rare genetic condition called CHARGE Syndrome which has left her profoundly deaf, blind and unable to communicate, walk, or eat – she is fed via a tube. She uses a wheelchair, has to be cpap ventilated at night, has scoliosis and osteoporosis, and is prone to seizures among many other conditions.

Donations have poured in to a gofundme page set up “to help an amazing family out” by Faye Jones-Filler, who is known to Karen as she also has a son with CHARGE. 

Speaking to White Horse News on Monday, Karen said, “There is no major improvement with Lee yet. He remains in a coma and he has had a stroke while he has been in the coma. He has a tracheostomy tube which he is being ventilated through and each day we are just waiting for the news that they have been able to get him breathing for himself. 

“The Covid-19 is clearing from his chest, so we are hoping for some good news soon. Lee is 43, fit and well and we are all shocked and devastated that this has happened.”

Faye  Jones-Filler, who set up the fundraising page said on the page before Lee fell into a coma, “Lee is in intensive care in a critical condition with Covid-19, there is little money coming in for Karen and the family to help them out at such a difficult time, Karen has Covid too and feeling poorly herself.  Karen also cares for a complex need child so doesn’t work. Any amount will really help.”

To support the campaign visit www.gofundme.com /f/help-the-tilleys

In December 2019 Lee launched an appeal to raise £5,000 to help provide Josselin with her own downstairs bedroom and bathroom. He said at the time, “Now she is 13,  nearly 14, she desperately needs a proper bedroom,  along with her own bathroom, that will give her her own privacy. 

Conversion works started – part-funded by Wiltshire Council – but it was brought to a halt by the pandemic and Josselin had to shield.