IN August 2018 my 15 year-old son, Haydn, was knocked off his bicycle. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and his head took the full impact.

He had no broken bones, just some cuts and grazes. However, he had a significant brain injury and needed a craniectiomy to save his life.

When Haydn was in a coma, we would play him music pretty much every day. This would be anything from Green Day to John Denver, from Johnny Cash, to McFly as Haydn had a very eclectic taste.

By some miracle, and following twelve days in a coma, Haydn did open his eyes. When he first woke up, he couldn’t talk and his right side was paralysed. The only word he could say was ‘no’ and we had to communicate through charades.

One day, not long after Haydn woke up, I walked onto the ward to see him walking towards me with his phone in his hand, music playing, and he was singing along. It was the most amazing moment. He wasn’t able to talk, but he could sing!

Haydn continued to improve and a month after his 16th birthday, he left the hospital and arrived at The Children’s Trust for three months of intensive rehabilitation.

With the help of Music Therapy at The Children’s Trust, he can now speak and is able to have a conversation with his friends and family.

If you’d like to help a child like Haydn, or more than one child learn to sing again, I can’t think of a better way of doing it than giving the gift of music. I know better than anyone what a difference it will make. The Magical Music Appeal is aiming to raise money for music therapy, instruments and outings.

Please help support the campaign by visiting https://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/magical-music-appeal

Thank you so much,

Haydn's Mum, Amanda