A FAMILY needs to find £3,000 a year to buy specialist hearing aids for their brain-damaged son.

Doctors brought Riley Rubbins, back to life after he was stillborn. It took five minutes to get his heart beating and he was give only a 25 per cent chance of surviving.

More than four years on, the Laindon lad enjoys playing with his baby brother and other children at is nursery, but has cerebral palsy and sight and hearing problems.

Riley, brother to Hayden, 17 months, has worn an NHS hearing aid since he was a tot.

Mum Cheryl Cannon, 25, and dad Nick Rubbins, 29, of Font Close, Laindon have been told he needs a hearing aid which fits completely inside his ear and needs updating regularly – at a cost of £3,000 a year.

Ms Cannon said: “You can’t put a price on your child’s safety, but it’s a lot of money for us to find. No one knows why this happened to him.

I wasn’t even in labour, but all of a sudden his heart rate just slowed and they rushed me in.

The doctors couldn’t find why he was stillborn.

“Riley doesn’t talk and he doesn’t walk. He’s just starting to sit up and he can manage it for about 45 minutes before he falls down.

“He tries so hard to communicate, but his speech isn’t really there. If he can’t show us what’s up he puts his whole hand in his mouth and makes himself sick, because it’s the only way he’s able to tell us something is wrong. He’s such a good boy and rarely cries.

“We’re really pushing him and we’re sure he’ll get there one day. We decided to send him to a mainstream school, because we want him to mix with other children.”

Inspired by Wendy Cannon, Riley’s gran, workmates at the Four Seasons pub, in Victoria Road, Laindon, recently entered an 8km obstacle race to raise £300 for Riley.

With a total of £1,119 raised so far, a raffle, a ladies’ night and a Christmas market are also being planned.

To help the family, visit youcaring.com/other /help-riley-change-his-life-for-the-better-/227053