Hi! My name is Millie, and I am nearly 3 years old. Well technically I am just over 2 and a half months old. I was born 3 months early and spent those 3 months in intensive care fighting for my life.
Because I was born so early, I am deaf in both ears and can’t talk yet. I have a severe development delay and cerebral palsy which affects all of my limbs. I am unable to sit, stand or walk independently, but I work extremely hard at my physio every day to build up my strength. We don’t know whether I will ever be able to hit these milestones, but I will try my hardest, and regular physiotherapy gives me the best chance of doing this!
The one thing I want to do more than anything in the world, is to play independently with my sister and my friends at nursery. But because of my disabilities I have to stay in my specialist equipment, which is really upsetting for me. If I am going to achieve this one day, I need to build up my strength through regular physiotherapy sessions.
Sadly, the NHS are so stretched. My physiotherapist is unable to see me regularly. Therefore, mummy and daddy organise private physio sessions for me, and work extremely hard to be able to pay for these. However, these sessions cost between £70 and £85 per hour, so unfortunately, I can’t have as many as I need. Studies have shown that the more physiotherapy I can have in the early years, the more likely I am to achieve my physical milestones. And because my brain is still growing, the more physio I have at a younger age, the bigger impact it will have.
Recently, I have made huge strides forwards in my development. I have started feeding myself, I have been gaining weight (which I had really struggled with) and have a lot more energy as a result. Because of this, Mummy and Daddy have been told that now is the time to push me physically, if we are going to achieve the best outcome. So this is where I need your help. Any amount you can donate to help me will be greatly appreciated.
