our story
Every parent dreams of a future where their child can explore the world, pursue their potential, and grow into all they are meant to be.
“A child’s future should not depend on where they are born.”
- Chantelle Hall, Founder
When Frederick was born with achondroplasia, my husband and I stepped into a world with very few guideposts. Before Frederick even started school, he had already undergone seven surgeries. We faced overwhelming medical costs and the heartbreaking reality that a life-changing treatment existed but was simply beyond our reach.
Frederick’s Growth Fund was born from that experience and one simple belief: no family should have to face this journey without hope, support, and the knowledge that they are not alone.
For our family, everything changed when our son, Frederick, was born with achondroplasia—a genetic condition that affects bone growth and can occur in any family. 80% of children with Achondroplasia are born to average height parents. The condition occurs as a de novo spontaneous gene (FGFR3) mutation and is not always carried over by genetic inheritance.
Like most parents, we imagined a future filled with possibility for our child. Frederick’s diagnosis didn’t take that away, but it did reshape our journey. It introduced us to a world of medical appointments, difficult decisions, and a deeper understanding of what truly matters: health, opportunity, and the fierce determination to advocate for your child.
By the age of only five, Frederick had undergone seven surgeries related to complications associated with achondroplasia. Seven operations before he even started school. Seven hospital stays, recoveries, and challenges no child should have to face. Each one reinforced a simple truth: access to specialised care and early intervention can make an enormous difference in a child’s life.
For decades, treatment focused largely on surgically correcting and managing complications after they occurred. Then, in 2021, something remarkable happened. Vosoritide became the first approved pharmaceutical treatment designed specifically to address the underlying genetic cause of achondroplasia. For the first time, a therapy that supports healthier bone growth exists, with the potential to reduce the burden of medical complications and improve long-term health outcomes for children with achondroplasia.
Frederick’s Growth Fund is guided by compassion and dignity, anchored in integrity and excellence, and driven by urgent advocacy for equitable access to life-changing treatment.
OUR PROMISE
We will act with urgency, integrity, and determination to ensure that children with achondroplasia are given the best possible chance at healthy growth and dignified lives.
