A Worle woman is making it her mission to raise £30,000 for a family to adapt their home so their brain-damaged son can live with them.

Weston Mercury: Denise Richards, from Worle, with David Pollard, Ryan's dad.Denise Richards, from Worle, with David Pollard, Ryan's dad. (Image: David Pollard.)

Denise Richards has started the crowdfunding campaign, Get Ryan Home. Ryan Pollard, aged 23, suffered a blocked ventricle in his brain in 2012 when he was aged 19.

He now has a tube in his brain to prevent a build-up of blood, but parts of his brain died. As a result, he requires a ventilator to breathe, is fed through a tube and cannot speak, due to a balloon in his throat which stops him from choking.

His family home is in Hartcliffe, in Bristol, but he currently lives in a rehabilitation centre in Gloucester, returning home for just a three-hour visit each week.

Denise has known Ryan’s dad – David Pollard – for 13 years, as she runs Sweets ‘n’ Things, in Worle and buys stock from the wholesalers he works at every week.

She told the Mercury: “I just got so fed up of going up there every week and asking David how Ryan is and there being no change – I thought there must be something which can be done to get him home.”

The family need £60,000 to make the necessary adaptations. His mum, Rachel, could care for him in the day and a professional carer would visit the family at night.

The family can get a £30,000 Government grant, but need to fill the rest of the funding gap.

David said: “His only wish is to come home. He had an operation last weekend because he wasn’t well and he was so upset when he couldn’t come home to visit.

“Denise is just absolutely amazing for trying to help, she is fantastic.”

Denise added: “If 30,000 people gave just £1, it would make a massive difference to this family.

“Ryan went from a normal lad, socialising and working – his life has been turned upside down.

“He gets lonely and just wants to be at home with his family.”

To donate visit www.youcaring.com/ryan-pollard-650210