Just4Children wants to raise funds for Jace to have very intensive aftercare following his SDR surgery to help him walk independently.
Jace is a very fun, loving and smart 6 year old. He was born with Cerebral Palsy, mainly affecting his legs.
At 18 months old we were told Jace would never walk, stand or talk. He defied the Drs and can certainly talk! However, he cannot yet stand or walk without the aid of a Kaye walker or Zimmer frame.
We started fundraising for Just4Children so that Jace could have an operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. This operation involves cutting nerves in the lower spine to reduce spasticity in the body, the spasticity being the barrier which prevents Jace from standing or walking unaided. About a year and a half into our fundraising journey, the NHS announced they would start funding the SDR operation – fantastic news! However, there is a tight ‘criteria’ which the child needed to meet to be eligible for it.
Jace thankfully met this criteria and had his operation on December 27th 2019.
Although the NHS has paid for the operation we still need to raise as much as we can to pay for Jace’s aftercare. We need to pay for private physiotherapy as the physio the NHS provide is just not enough to make the operation worthwhile. There aren’t enough resources to give each child the best aftercare possible.
The operation helps rid the body of spasticity but it also weakens all core muscles. The operation is the ‘easy’ part, the aftercare is the most vital as this is what will enable Jace to be able to stand and walk unaided. Jace will probably need ligament lengthening as he grows to stretch his leg muscles, requiring further physiotherapy after this operation as well.
We are trying to raise £40,000 to be able to pay for Jace to have the very much needed intensive physiotherapy at least 3 times a week for as many years as possible! The longer we can keep physiotherapy going, the more Jace will benefit and he is more likely to be able to stand and walk unaided. All fundraised money will be used to cover all aftercare costs as well as any other operational related costs that may arise from the SDR operation or any future operations.
Please note that we are on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under the same name.
We are so very grateful.
Thank you
