I was deeply touched when I read about Miika's plight in the Evening Standard, and about the incredible Bradley Lowery Foundation who are helping his family raise the funds for private Physiotherapy, Speech & Language, Occupational Therapy and Intensive Rehabilitation to give him a chance of living an independent life. 

In Sept 2015 Miika was diagnosed with a heart condition, Restrictive and Dilated Cardiomyopathy, and his parents were told he would eventually need a heart transplant. In May 2017 Miika deteriorated significantly and was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital.  Several days later he was placed on a Berlin Heart machine, an “artificial heart” that pumps blood around the body.  He would live in hospital on the Berlin Heart until a donor heart became available but with the Berlin Heart came major risks of brain damage. Over the next few months Miika suffered two brain injuries.  Miika has always been a warrior and soldiered on with rehabilitation until his parents received the call they'd been waiting for, there was a heart for Miika. 

Miika recovered well from the transplant and has spent the last 3 months living at The Children’s Trust in Surrey, a brain injury rehabilitation centre for children,where Miika is having intensive rehab to help him to try to walk, talk, swallow, use his right arm and improve his cognition and learning which has been significantly impaired. He has 2 weeks left then he will finally be home with his family again after 10 months.

Miika will need intensive therapies over the next 4 years to make a real impact to his life (the NHS are only able to offer them 3 months and to continue his parents need to fund the rest).

The Bradley Lowery foundation has been set up to help families who need to fund raise for treatment or equipment, not available on the NHS. We will support families through their fundraising campaign in order to help achieve their targets. We offer not only support, but grants where eligible.

Join me on Sunday 8 April 2018 for a handstand and backbend class at Soho Gyms, Waterloo (who have kindly donated the use of their studio for free), 10am-12pm. All I ask is you please make a donation, large or small every penny helps Miika. 

If you can't make the class but want to help then please tell your friends and family. Everyone is welcome and all donations are gratefully received. 

To see what you can expect in the class please see my Instagram @_alexnino_

Thank you.