Giorgio has Spastic Quad Cerebral Palsy and his condition hugely benefits from intense physical therapies. His dream is to walk independently, and those vital therapies will help him achieve this.
Giorgio is aged 3 from Wallington in London. He was born at full term after a straightforward pregnancy and labour. He was a happy content baby, and it was not until he started missing developmental milestones that we realised something was not quite right. He was unable to sit unaided on his first birthday ,and he did not start commando crawling until he was nearly two.
After a long awaited visit to see a paediatrician and an MRI scan, Giorgio was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. The MRI scan could not pinpoint when or why his brain damage occurred, so it remains to be a bit of a mystery as to why he has CP. Although we were heartbroken that our little boy would face many struggles with this diagnosis, we were absolutely determined to do whatever it takes to ensure he has the best chances in life.
Giorgio is not like a typical toddler and it takes countless appointments and daily physio and exercises to help rewire the damage in his brain and tackle the spasticity and tightness that cerebral palsy causes in his muscles. Giorgio has been lucky to be have been seen by his NHS physios once a fortnight, but this is simply no longer enough.
We are currently paying for fortnightly private physio sessions and the odd hydrotherapy sessions. The benefits have been astounding. As you can imagine the cost of these therapies quickly become unaffordable and that is why we have decided to start fundraising for Just4Children. We have seen the amazing benefits these extra therapy sessions are having and we know that the more he has, the more his mobility will improve.
There are so many other types of therapy out there that we know would continue to help Giorgio – DMI, hydrotherapy, hippotherapy and vestibular stimulation to name a few. The more therapy and specialist equipment Giorgio has access to, the more his mobility will increase and the more likely he is of achieving his dream of walking independently.
We will be eternally grateful for any help and support you can give our determined little Cerebral Palsy warrior!