Trucker makes cerebral palsy youngster’s dreams come true
Good-hearted trucking tycoon Steve Towers has pledged £15,000 for a young cerebral palsy sufferer, to enable him to have life-changing surgery (Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2093917/Trucking-tycoon-pledges-15k-cerebral-palsy-boys-life-changing-surgery.html).
The 52-yearold Californian, who is originally from Bacup, Lancashire, saw a story about Theo Bishop’s appeal when catching up with news about his home town in the Lancashire Telegraph.
He felt so moved by Theo’s story that he decided to step in, and give something back to the former mill town where he grew up in the process.
As with many of the cerebral palsy sufferers we see as medical negligence solicitors, eight-year-old Theo can only walk with the help of a frame. However, on hearing about a procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, which has achieved positive results in America, his family set about raising the £45,000 needed. They had been successful in bringing in about two thirds of the money when Steve came to the rescue, and made their dreams come true.
Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is an expensive procedure, and while it is available at two hospitals in the UK, it is rarely funded by the NHS. The St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri, America has seen particular success with the procedure, in terms of helping cerebral palsy sufferers to walk, and many families of children with cerebral palsy are trying to raise money to send their children there.
Success stories, such as that of three-year-old Blake Barley, show what the procedure can achieve. The tot showed an improvement in his condition just hours after having the operation at the St Louis Hospital, and doctors believe he will be able to walk on his own in just a year’s time.
It’s easy to see why families are keen to give their children a lifeline with the procedure. However, there are many issues that need to be considered, so anyone thinking about pursuing Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy should seek advice. A good place to start in the Scope website at http://www.scope.org.uk/help-and-information/z-therapies/selective-dorsal-rhizotomy.