Story
Myself and a team of four other (Lego) heroes will be walking from Blackpool to Jacobs Ladder, 215 miles in just 4 days at the end of July (TBC). We are taking our journey in order to help a beautiful 2 year old, Jacob, start his own.
Jacob is aged 2 from Weston Super Mare was born prematurely at 32 weeks. His development was as expected the first few months of his life. However, at around 5 months old he started missing his milestones. He couldn't sit, didn't learn to crawl or pull himself up. At 18 months old Jacob was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy affecting both his legs. Due to the stiffness in his legs we have been told Jacob will not walk without SDR surgery.
Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) is an operation developed by a surgeon in Missouri, America that can be performed to release the spasticity and give Jacob the chance to walk. We will need to fundraise to cover the cost of the procedure and two years private physiotherapy.
£65,000 is what will be needed in total, the money raised for Jacob will enable us to fly him out to America to have the operation performed by the Doctor who pioneered the SDR surgery. It will also pay for the intensive private physiotherapy required for two years after the operation, as this will not be available to him on the NHS.
Jacob is a happy, determined little boy that just wants to learn to walk so he can join in and have fun with his two big sisters. The frustration is beginning to show with him as he grows up and realises his limitations. He so desperately wants to walk but his legs just won't let him.
For more information please visit http://www.jacobsjourney.org.uk