Family set to be filmed for DIY SOS launch appeal to bring 13-year-old son home
Dan Flemen's life drastically changed after he began experiencing flu-like symptoms in November 2022.
This turned out to be a sign of a severe brain tumour.
Dan went from being an active teenager volunteering at church to needing constant care after a stroke left him with severe disabilities.
He is now non-verbal, cannot sit unaided, requires night-time ventilation support, and needs round-the-clock care.
Dan has had to stay in hospital since his diagnosis (Image: Supplied)
Due to the extensively specialised care Dan now requires, his family home no longer meets the requirements for his needs.
His house in Freckleton, Lancashire, is not accessible, meaning that Dan has had to stay in hospital since his diagnosis in November 2022.
Dan's mum, Julie, has moved into hospital accommodation to be close to her son, while his dad, Nigel, and two sisters travel more than 50 miles to be with him.
The renovations required to transform the family home into a safe and suitable environment for Dan include a private accessible bedroom, an adapted bathroom, facilities for full-time care and a suitable social space.
Getting these changes made quickly and under budget means Dan can be with his family as soon as the work is finished.
However, these renovations are far beyond the family's means.
Good news has come in the form of a community effort.
READ MORE:
Pictures: Scooter rally returns as crowds enjoy ride-in and live music
Why Darwen's Mill & Yarn deserves your vote in best barbers contest
Ian McKellen 'holds back tears' after appearing at Glastonbury with Scissor Sisters
The BBC's DIY SOS series has stepped up and will air the family's journey, with filming in Freckleton scheduled from July 16 to 23.
Contributions have also come from the automotive industry charity, Ben, and the local authority is also offering support.
However, volunteers and contributions are still needed.
If you would like to donate, more information can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/DanielFlemen
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jeremy Clarkson 'absolutely devastated' as Diddly Squat farm hit with TB outbreak
The Clarkson's Farm star had 'devastating' news to share from Diddly Squat farm Jeremy Clarkson has revealed Diddly Squat farm has been hit with a TB outbreak. The Clarkson's Farm star said he and his team were "absolutely devastated" by the discovery. At Diddly Squat Farm, the animal tested positive for TB is a pregnant cow expecting twin calves. What has Jeremy Clarkson said? Clarkson has shared the news about Diddly Squat farm being hit by the outbreak on social media. He tweeted to his followers: "Bad news from Diddly Squat. We've gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated." In response to fan comments, Clarkson said he hoped Aberdeen Angus bull Endgame would be ok. "His test was 'inconclusive'. I couldn't bear it if we lost him," he said. He also said: "The offending animal is pregnant with twins." More to follow. His Prime Video series Clarkson's Farm documents his life as a farmer. The latest series saw the star dealing with challenging moments, including facing staff walkouts and power cuts when opening The Farmer's Dog pub last year. Then there was also Clarkson's row about the £40,000 umbrellas. These challenges weren't really known about until Clarkson's Farm series four was available to stream on Prime Video in June.


Fox News
24 minutes ago
- Fox News
Piers Morgan: Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne had a 'ferocious love'
Piers Morgan remembers Ozzy Osbourne after the heavy metal legend was laid to rest in his hometown of Birmingham, England.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'It doesn't belong': Top chef on one thing you should never put in a burger and the supermarket product every cook should have
Every week we interview top chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks, views on the industry and more. This week, we speak to Chris Shaw, head chef at Toklas restaurant on the Strand in London... My favourite restaurant chain is... Pizza Express! I haven't been for a while, but I've got a lot of love for it and so many fond memories there. It's the smell that gets you, of the freshly baked dough balls - so nostalgic. I usually get an American Hot style pizza. It's such a safe haven - it's cheap, cheerful and basically everyone who grew up in London spend their childhood at Pizza Express. My favourite supermarket product is... Maggi liquid seasoning, which you can get from pretty much any major retailer. I put it on everything - some fried rice, a few poached eggs or even in the base of a really good sauce just to lift it a go-to simple recipe to cook at home is... a puttanesca. I always have those ingredients at home, so normally I don't even need to go to the supermarket. You can just raid your cupboard - find a nice tin of anchovies, a jar of capers and some tinned tomatoes. If you've got parmesan rinds left over and some parsley in the fridge, you can bring it all together quite quickly. That's what I tend to eat in when I get back late from work for a snack. My favourite cheap place to eat where I live is... Dom's Subs for a £10 sandwich. I think they've got a few now but I go to the one on Hackney Road. It's such good value, anywhere between £9 and £14, but these things are absolutely massive, filled up right to the brim. I usually get something like The Grapes, a super spicy sub filled with Thai ground chicken, gem lettuce and some of their house-made mayo, then all the pickles, chillies and crispy shallots you need. If I say come round for dinner... I'm the one looking after you and wanting to be hospitable, so if you turn up empty-handed that's all okay with me... Food is always going to be provided and it's more about having a good time together. The best city in the world to eat in is... Chiang Mai, Thailand. The food was all cheap and delicious. More than that, there's a shared culture of people who care so deeply about the food they eat and time spent eating together. It's not something you really get in London, but in Chiang Mai all the farmers, school kids and people from the city all sit down together and eat in the same places. One restaurant in the UK that's worth blowing out for is... Trinity in Clapham. One of the best meals I've ever had. Lots of people would agree it should really have two stars. Forget the pressure to pick the right bottle of wine... Explore, ask questions and go with what you like. That's where the good stuff is. More Cheap Eats: The toughest moment of my career was... at Emile during COVID and the restaurant closed. When things opened up after the first lockdown, it was a total reality shock to be doing those hours again and on my feet for so long. It really made me think whether this was the career for me. When you work, work, work and then it all comes to a grinding halt, can you really go back to a 60-hour week? It's a big adjustment and you really have to love this lifestyle. Watching restaurants that I loved close down was also so hard. A classic dish that I don't really like is... smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. I love them individually but not combined. Texturally, I don't think they really go together. Also, toad in the hole is something I could never get on board with. My controversial food opinion is... bacon on burgers is the worst thing in the world. It just doesn't belong in there. I love bacon sandwiches, I'd take one any day of the week. Have a good burger with really good beef, but I don't know why anyone would put bacon in there. Most of the time it's chewy, or absolutely incinerated and the whole thing falls out when you try and eat it. Good-quality beef has enough flavour by itself that you don't need to add the bacon! The best chef in the UK is… Cynthia Shanmugalingam from Rambutan, a Sri Lankan restaurant in Borough Market with a focus on open fire cooking. I'm consistently amazed by what she does and a big fan of the food that comes out of her kitchen.