Norfolk baby needs to wear helmet 23 hours a day

More than 100 people have raised thousands of pounds to help a three-month-old baby receive treatment for his head.

Little Henry Saddleton suffers from plagiocephaly, commonly known as flathead syndrome.

Henry's parents Aaron and Kelly, both 25, from Bernham Road, Hellesdon, held a charity barbecue yesterday to raise money for a �2,000 helmet, which will correct the shape of his head, and travelling costs to and from the London clinic where he is being treated.

Mrs Saddleton said: 'We took him to London two weeks ago and they scanned his head. He needs to be in his helmet 23 hours a day. The NHS doesn't pay for it because it's classed as cosmetic.'

The couple will have to travel to London every fortnight until Henry's head is corrected, which could be up to a year.

Mrs Saddleton added: 'When I first found out, I was devastated. I know it's not life threatening but you don't want to think there's anything wrong with your baby.' They hit their fundraising target, to cover the �1,950 cost of the helmet and extra money was donated to the charity HeadStart4Babies. They received a donation from the East Coast Truckers and local businesses donated raffle prizes.

He also suffers from torticollis, a condition where a shortened neck muscle causes him to tilt his head. The tightening causes him to always rest his head in the same position, putting pressure to the back of the head which causes flathead syndrome. The condition causes flattening on one side of the back of the head and it also involves bulging of the forehead, puffy cheeks and lopsided ears

The couple also have a daughter, Darcy, two.

Are you raising money for a special cause? Contact Lucy Wright on 01603 772495 or lucy.wright@archant.co.uk