Four-year-old Leo needs a special operation in America to ease the pain of his Cerebral Palsy and give him the chance of walking independently.
Leo is a very bright, energetic 4 year old
boy who loves what most 4 year olds love! He adores playing with other
children at nursery school and spending time with his (many) cousins and
he loves it when someone holds him up so that he can kick a football!
Leo
is a dab hand at wheelchair dancing and can out sprint most children on
a flat surface. Without his wheelchair it is unfortunately much more
difficult for Leo to play and he struggles to keep up.
Leo has
painful cramping at night and when this happens he often wakes crying
from the discomfort. His physiotherapist Jane describes this as the
feeling of constant pins and needles.
The treatment Leo needs is called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy and involves cutting some of the sensory nerve fibres that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord. The complicated procedure reduces spasticity and it becomes easier for patients to increase strength with therapy and exercise. Children who have received the treatment can often start types of exercise that were impossible before.
The operation is not currently available on the NHS and the Centre for Cerebral Palsy Spasticity in St Louis, Missouri are the World’s leading specialists.Helping Leo and his family raise the money for the trip are national charity, Caudwell Children, who support families caring for sick and disabled children.
Anyone interested in helping the Help Leo 2 Walk Appeal is asked to contact Caudwell Children on 01782 600114 or to donate online visit www.justgiving.com/helpleo2walk
