Stories

18 year old James has a passion for the great outdoors but life has made it particularly hard for him to indulge that passion. Severe epilepsy (between 10 and 30 seizures per day) has curtailed his development with consequential learning difficulties.

Four year old Savannah always seems to have a smile on her face despite severe cerebral palsy which means she needs constant care and help with feeding and changing. She loves books, music and people and probably gets her positive outlook from her mother who has a very positive outlook on life.

Aaliyah has weak muscles and painful joints due to multiple medical conditions including skeletal dysplasia and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It makes her totally reliant on her wheelchair for mobility. But her old NHS wheelchair is very heavy to propel, so she tires easily, its weight makes it difficult to get in and out of the car when her parents take her out.

Tyler is a very bright and personable young man who has qualified for a place at a residential performing arts college where he can study music, his great passion.

Henry has to cope with the effects of Spastic Dyplegia, cerebral palsy and serious sight impairments. He’s very determined and can manage short distances by using walking canes.

12 year old Thomas is a very bright young man who has recently started secondary school. He loves technology and enjoys his Xbox, iPad and playing Minecraft.

Fountaindale is a Special Needs school catering for children with a wide range of conditions including: physical disabilities, complex medical needs, sensory impairment and learning difficulties.​

Derriford is the largest hospital in the South West peninsular and a major teaching hospital serving a population of around 450,000 people. The Activity Centre on Woodcock Ward caters for a wide range of children and young people including some with special, complex or additional needs, some of whom are particularly anxious when spending time in hospital.

Ben is always keen to join in family life. However, quadriplegic cerebral palsy means he is totally dependent on them for all his needs. He has a powered wheelchair which he can control by head movements and while this gives him a level of independence, operating the wheelchair is laborious, slow and very tiring for him.

Cerebral Palsy and Global Development Delay make life very difficult and frustrating for 7 year old Vinay. He needs help with dressing, feeding and toileting. The lack of muscle tone in his legs means he is wheelchair bound and he can only self-propel himself at home in a very limited way. He lacks the strength to fully propel himself.