Our 2 year old daughter Dakota is a twin, and due to trauma at birth was born with dystonic/dyskinetic qudraplegic cerebral palsy, although we had no idea what was wrong until around 7 months old when the dystonia started. Her paediatrician voiced his concerns, then it was obvious something was going on bevause she was not progressing with milestones. This was a shock to us initially, but she was referred to specialists and allied health to help with her evolving needs. They have helped and continue to help as much as they can.

The most debilitating part of Dakota‘s diagnosis is the dystonia. Her body locks up into involuntary twisted, unnatural postures which cause immense pain. She is medicated, and she attends physio and OT on the NHS, however their therapies just aren’t frequent or comprehensive enough to push her towards being more mobile and independant. When she isn‘t dystonic or having spasms, she is a happy toddler who loves smiling and laughing.

Our goal is to raise funds to improve her chances of using her arms one day, and being able to hopefully walk in the future! So far she is mostly non verbal, can roll onto her side, but cannot sit unaided or stand. This can be improved through physical therapies, hydrotherapy, horse therapy etc. We also require a vehicle that will accomodate her wheelchair, so this is also something we hope to have for her in the near future.

As Dakotas parents, we just want the best for her and the best time to help her is now while she‘s still growing. We would be grateful for any donations to help fund the best future for Dakota! Thank you, Bianca snd Trevor.