I had the pleasure and privilege of working with and supporting this lovely young man a few years ago. He is so determined to walk and has the most amazing parents.  

An act as simple as walking for most of us is taken for granted everyday. An operation gives Oliver that hope so I want to raise some money to help him towards that. I'm walking 13 miles from Brighton - Worthing pier on Sunday 10th July. Anything you can give to help Oliver I can assure you will go to a great cause. 

Here is his story:

ABOUT OLIVER

When I was told that he was unlikely ever to walk independently, I was deeply shocked by this fact, everyone around me suspected this result, including my husband; but to me it was like a dream that I wished I could get out of .

Oliver is a lively 8 years old boy. He was born prematurely at 31 weeks, weighing just 1.2kg. He stayed in hospital in a special unit for 49 days and was discharged with no health concerns weighing 1.83kg.

When Oliver was 4 months old he couldn't hold his head up and when we asked we were told he was premature so his progress was expected to be delayed. At 8 months old Oliver couldn't sit on the floor and again we were told that this was to be expected. When Oliver was 1 year of age, he couldn't stand up on his feet and was checked by a paediatrician, it was then decided that his progress was delayed unexpectedly.

Oliver was referred to a specialist paediatrician who offered him a MRI scan and hip x-ray then he was diagnosed with Spastic quadriplegia of cerebral palsy, 4 limbs were affected.

This causes his muscles to be abnormally tight. He can walk with a walking frame and sometimes on his toes independently but finds this too difficult outside of the house so he prefers to use his wheelchair
when he’s out and about. He is often uncomfortable and very tired because his body has to work so hard to do every little thing.

There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but Oliver has been offered a hope by Great Ormond Street Children Hospital as a good candidate for a life
changing operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR)

This operation, followed by intensive physiotherapy will give Oliver far better mobility; increase his independence, as well as making him generally more comfortable. His leg movements will become easier and the level of control, dexterity, range and speed will increase over time. It will minimise the chance of future bone deformation. There will be a reduction in spasticity in his lower limbs and give him a chance of learning how to walk and if aided at least independently, it will ultimately bring Oliver and his family a better quality of life.

Unfortunately this procedure is not funded by the NHS nor is all the post operation physiotherapy required for the next couple of years. The bill from Great Ormond Street Hospital is of £27.000 and the cost of rehabilitation related to SDR is of £10,000 per year.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.Here is his story:

ABOUT OLIVER:

When I was told that he was unlikely ever to walk independently, I was deeply shocked by this fact, everyone around me suspected this result, including my husband; but to me it was like a dream that I wished I could get out of .

Oliver is a lively 8 years old boy. He was born prematurely at 31 weeks, weighing just 1.2kg. He stayed in hospital in a special unit for 49 days and was discharged with no health concerns weighing 1.83kg.

When Oliver was 4 months old he couldn't hold his head up and when we asked we were told he was premature so his progress was expected to be delayed. At 8 months old Oliver couldn't sit on the floor and again we were told that this was to be expected. When Oliver was 1 year of age, he couldn't stand up on his feet and was checked by a paediatrician, it was then decided that his progress was delayed unexpectedly.

Oliver was referred to a specialist paediatrician who offered him a MRI scan and hip x-ray then he was diagnosed with Spastic quadriplegia of cerebral palsy, 4 limbs were affected.

This causes his muscles to be abnormally tight. He can walk with a walking frame and sometimes on his toes independently but finds this too difficult outside of the house so he prefers to use his wheelchair
when he’s out and about. He is often uncomfortable and very tired because his body has to work so hard to do every little thing.

There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but Oliver has been offered a hope by Great Ormond Street Children Hospital as a good candidate for a life
changing operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR)

This operation, followed by intensive physiotherapy will give Oliver far better mobility; increase his independence, as well as making him generally more comfortable. His leg movements will become easier and the level of control, dexterity, range and speed will increase over time. It will minimise the chance of future bone deformation. There will be a reduction in spasticity in his lower limbs and give him a chance of learning how to walk and if aided at least independently, it will ultimately bring Oliver and his family a better quality of life.

Unfortunately this procedure is not funded by the NHS nor is all the post operation physiotherapy required for the next couple of years. The bill from Great Ormond Street Hospital is of £27.000 and the cost of rehabilitation related to SDR is of £10,000 per year.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.