The charity was established in 2004 by Victoria Townsend, who is now the organization’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As the mother of a son, William, who has spent all but three weeks of his nine years of life on LTV, Victoria and her family have experienced at first-hand many of the problems and challenges associated with this situation.

She recognised that her own need for a focused source of information and encouragement, provided by specialist carers and parents who had personal familiarity and understanding of caring for a young LTV-dependent person, was not easily forthcoming and from research we know this view is shared by hundreds of others like her. The result was Breathe On UK.