Hi Everybody
My name is Kat Szeszol and this handsome guy on the photo is my 5 months old son Tim.
Tim was born with deformed head and just recently was diagnosed with 19 mm plagiocephaly.
This condition also known as flat head syndrome is characterised by a flattening on one side of the back of the head. It may also involve bulging of the forehead, fullness of the cheek and ear misalignment on the same side as the flattening.
Only few babies are born with "plagio" most cases are caused by a number of factors involving positioning such as extended time spent in a neonatal unit, the birth process, position in the womb and often the infant's preferred sleeping position. It can also be caused by a condition called Torticollis.
In Tim's case I noticed his odd potato shaped head just after he was born but I was told that normally any asymmetry settles in the first few weeks after birth. Untill 6 weeks check up his head looked the same, but again I was told that this condition is going to sort itself out when he starts to sit up and hair is going to grow over it anyway.
And this "anyway" made me think...
So was his head shape going to improve? Or maybe it was only going to be less visible under his hair? I decided to find out more.
I googled "flat head syndrome" and found out that misalignment of the skull resulting from plagiocephaly may in severe cases contribute to jaw and dental problems and the negative psychological effects of teasing and bullying in the child's formative years and that there are two main treatments for plagiocephaly: repositioning and corrective helmets.
To make long story short after 3 months of repositioning it was clear that it didn't work, I booked an appoitment in Ossur Clinic ;and found out that Tim has got severe case of plagiocephaly and needs special helmet individually moulded to his exact head shape. The helmet fits snugly to the unaffected area and leaves space around the flat spot so that any growth is channelled into the area which needs to 'round out's.
It was very uplifting to find out thet there is something that can be done, unfortunatelly I also found out that the cost of the treatment, which is £1950, is not covered by NHS.
I am on maternity leave and simply haven't got that much money but that is not something that is going to stop me, and Tim from having his treatment. I found charity called Headstart4babies and asked for them to help me pay for Tim's treatment, but also decided to start my own fundraising.
So first of all comes this page linked to my chosen charity Headstart4babies. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity, plus you know exactly where your money goes.
All your donations comming from this site are put together towards Tim's treatment .
Second of all I am planning to organise a garage sale to get some extra funds, but also to spread the word about plagiocephaly so more babies can have the treatment and their parents have easier access to information than I had.
At the moment I haven't go the date or place of this event but there is still plenty to do and I don't want to confuse anyone. Once everything is ready I'll let you all know. In the meantime if you have anything you think we could sell ,or any ideas how to make our sale better please let me know:)
Remember every penny counts hundred people donating £1 is already £100
So everybody please dig deep and donate now.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Kat & Tim
