Incredibly sadly, Brody died on 16th February 2023. His mission goes on as a tribute and legacy for a beautiful, inspirational little boy.
I’m Brody, and live in Stockport with my loving family.
Please take a little time to read my story below and find out how mitochondrial disease has affected me right from birth.
My oldest son Declan and I were thrilled to be welcoming a new addition to our family back in 2021.
Brody arrived as expected in July … and for a heart-wrenching time, he wasn’t breathing. Once he was, it sounded really ‘rattly’. High lactate levels indicated heart issues and that something was underlying. A brain MRI found cysts then at 6 weeks old, genetic testing confirmed mitochondrial disease.
Two genes are involved – MT-TW and MT-ATP6. It’s a very rare form of mito that specialists confirmed is a type of Leigh Syndrome. We’ve also learned that it is maternally inherited.
I work for the NHS in admin support for Stepping Hill Cardiology department, so that helped with some of the medical terms. But it’s still difficult to take all the information in – especially on top of the emotional turmoil of it being about our much-loved, baby boy. Like so many people, we’d never heard of mitochondrial disease, other than it featuring on Coronation Street.
Brody’s heart problems are currently well-managed by medication but overall, his symptoms impact on him a great deal. Significant choking problems led to tube feeding and he has severe development delays. Brody’s smiles when he was 4 months old just melted our hearts.
He’s barely able to open his eyes now too, making it hard to gauge how he’s feeling.
It’s obviously incredibly difficult to see our beautiful Brody so poorly, but we pull together as a loving family to get through. Declan, now 13, is the most wonderful big brother and completely dotes on Brody just as I do.
Incredibly sadly, Brody died on 16th February 2023.
His mission goes on as a tribute and legacy for a beautiful, inspirational little boy.
I’m a member of Affinity Choir, Stockport who are wonderfully supporting Brody’s Mission which is heart-warming.
People’s kindness, support and understanding can make such a difference.
Whether you support Brody’s mission, any other single mission or My Mito Mission as a whole – it’s all the same great cause.
Spreading the word, following, sharing, as well as donating and raising funds are all really helpful and valued. From running a race to hosting a bake sale, giving out Brody’s Mito Mission leaflets to finding a home for a collecting can – there are so many ways in which you can get involved.
If you’d simply like to donate to Brody’s mission, choose a way that suits you below.
Regular donations are the most powerful way to support our vital work, allowing us as a small, high-energy charity to plan and build from a strong foundation.
We need a 1000 strong team of amazing people to donate any amount from just £2 a month. 1000 is a lot, but – one by one – we know that we can reach it. Find out more here.
For any other amount or frequency (eg weekly, quarterly, annual), simply contact us
We’d love your support with our fundraising… and we can provide supporting materials. Just ask!
Fundraise and shop!
Other ways you can support us
Visit our Support Us page for more inspiration!
