On the 17th April I will be attempting to run the London Marathon to raise money for The Children's Trust.  That’s 26.2 miles by the way….a really really long way…

The Children's Trust may be a charity that you have already heard of but probably don't know exactly what they do.  Every day I take my son, Federico, to the nursery that is also on the same site as the trust and I get to see some of the amazing work that is done here, and see the beautiful smiles on the faces of some of the children who attend.

The Children’s Trust is a national charity working with children who have multiple disabilities and complex health needs.  These can range from rehabilitation and therapy services, expert nursing and medical care to special education for children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and complex health needs.

Astonishingly, the trust is only partially government funded and relies heavily on the donations from people like us to keep going.  Your donation will not be absorbed in a large charity and be used on sending mailings and adverts, it will go straight to the children and could help buy new equipment, leisure and play activities.  

We all pray that our children will grow up to lead happy healthy lives, just as the parents of the children who use the services of the trust did.  Please read the story of Kayse below.  

Kayse came to the Trust for rehabilitation after he was involved in a road accident

A small hand slowly but surely reaches out towards a brightly coloured lily pad toy adorned with green frogs. Thoroughly absorbed, you can see the look of concentration on five year old Kayse’s face as he pulls back the lid and a small frog springs out! His physiotherapist Sue Mobbs congratulates him – she remembers a very different little boy who would never have been able to do what he just did when he arrived at the Trust.

Kayse was hit by a car on a family holiday. The accident left him unable to control his head, limited his leg and arm movements and dislocated his left shoulder and right hip. He is now unable to speak, uses a wheelchair and for a time was fed via a gastrostomy tube. Physiotherapy, part of Kayse’s rehabilitation programme, is using play to encourage his arm movements and help him regain his cognitive skills.

“Kayse is changing a lot,” his mum Ymulkheyr explains. “He is a different little boy. Before he came to the Trust he could not control his head or move his left arm much. Now he is using a standing frame daily and trying to talk – he makes a noise that sounds like he is saying ‘Mumma’.”

Surprisingly the little green frog is playing an important role! “We have tried to use other toys but Kayse never gets as much out of a session as he does with the frog,” Sue says with a smile. 

Kayse is learning ‘cause and effect’. When he lifts the lid, the frog jumps out. The activity encourages his early cognition and visual skills. Kayse now understands that it is him causing the frog to leap. The movement also helps him develop the use of his arms.

The physiotherapy and occupational therapy teams have worked together to provide Kayse with a body brace, arm splints and braces to help hold his feet and ankles in the right position. Together these maintain Kayse’s posture and give him a good range of joint movement, vital as he tries to regain the use of his arms and legs. He wears them during his sessions but they do not seem to get in the way of the leaping frog.

It is all great fun, but Kayse is also learning some important skills that he is able to carry into his everyday life.

Thank you for reading this far.  Any donation that you are able to make, however big or small, will go towards making a real difference.

Lucy