Oliver is now ten years old. It became very obvious in his first few days that Oliver was unlike any other child. After not achieving his “normal” baby milestones he was given an MRI scan on his brain a year after he was born. The results of the MRI scan showed that his brain was not damaged but it was more or less floating in two halves and that he was missing the major nerve called the corpus callosum. This alone, was not the reason for his delayed development. However, it was a signpost that something was not right. Years of further tests followed and Oliver was put into a group of undiagnosed children that formed a study called “DDD” (Deciphering development disorders) – which was led in Germany. Up to now we still don’t have a full diagnosis for Oliver but have learned to put that to one side and have instead concentrated our attention more into managing his needs and disabilities, which has, in turn made us appreciate Oliver and the person he is.

Oliver is unable to sit alone without support and can only weight bear for very limited periods of time, with the help of his standing frame or an adult holding him. He needs regular on going physio which we do at home and with the help of a private physiotherapist. Oliver’s school also give him daily exercises to develop good movement and to ensure his muscles do not get over-tight.

Oliver has fantastic eye contact and we can judge his level of happiness through his eyes and his laughter. However, he does not communicate verbally at all and so it can be extremely frustrating to fully understand his needs.

Oliver's "wish list"

A 3 wheeler assisted trike to allow him regular exercise and develop strength.

A communication and language system called “Eyegaze”would allow Oliver the opportunity to communicate his needs, preferences, likes and dislikes.

A special needs multi terrain buggy will give Oliver and his family more flexibility for travel, off road walks, accessing the beach and also bike rides