Fundraising for Issy

l will be doing a triathlon on the August bank holiday to raise money for one of my truly amazing and inspirational students, Issy. Below is her story...

On Thursday 28th June, while attending my dance club, Isabel Dolby, aged 8 of Walton on Thames, Surrey suffered a stroke. Due to quick thinking of staff members at the school, and an ambulance team being nearby, Isabel was rushed to St Peters Hospital in Chertsey, where a team of Dr’s waited anxiously for her arrival. Although a CT scan at St Peters came back clear, it was two days later, after being transferred to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, where an MRI confirmed the news of the stroke. The stroke had occurred on the left hand side of her brain, affecting the right hand side of her body - paralysed from her face down to her toes. For the first 48 hours Isabel had been on a ventilator and in a coma. Once awake, Isabel couldn’t talk and had no movement down the right hand side of her body and had to be fed via an NG tube. In the last five weeks since the incident and through Isabel’s own sheer will and determination, she has learnt to eat and drink independently, increasing her speech from one word to almost complete sentences, standing independently, and thanks to the support of an exoskeleton boot, is learning to walk again. Isabel has short term memory loss and still has no use of her right arm although is slowly showing signs of clenching her fist. Isabel has been accepted into a paediatric rehabilitation centre in Surrey but due to shortage of beds, is on a waiting list. After her time at the rehabilitation centre, Isabel may still require months of further therapies, which will then have to be paid at her parents own expense. These therapy treatments are not cheap - an estimated cost of around £5,500.00 per month. Therapy would be daily physiotherapy, daily massage, occupational therapy and speech and language, three times a week. Thankfully, Isabel’s personality and sense of humour has not been affected- she’s still the same determined, motivated little girl with the usual 8 year old sass. She has always remained positive and upbeat and she is only focused on two things - ‘dancing‘ 💪and riding her bike again therefore remains focused on her recovery. Her parents have given me permission to publish this and are incredibly proud of her and what she has achieved and will achieve in the future. Isabel is a true fighter! Please help me raise as much money as possible! Thank you! Anna Bungay 😘