The mother of a severely handicapped boy is jumping out of a plane to raise funds for specialised therapy in Canada she hopes will enable her son to walk unaided for short periods.
Harry Stanesby, 3, from Chadacre Road, Stoneleigh, was born with an upper motor neuron lesion in his brain which causes him difficulty moving. The lesion comes under the broad umbrella of cerebral palsy.
Despite weekly physiotherapy sessions, Harry struggled to retain the muscle memory required to master crawling and other types of movement.
But in August, his parents Jo, 36, and Mark, 40, took him to Health in Motion in Toronto, Canada, a rehabilitation clinic that provides specialized treatments for children with cerebral palsy, developmental delay, acquired brain injury, and paediatric stroke.
While there Harry (pictured above) underwent four weeks of daily three-hour physiotherapy sessions and 90-minute massage therapy sessions. Since the visit Harry can now move from a supine position, roll over, move into a sitting position, onto his knees and crawl.
“A little boy who had a limited vocabulary and would get around by dragging himself along the floor because he didn’t know what his legs did, couldn’t sit up without support and would be more than happy just lying on the floor came back completely changed,” Mark, an IT consultant said.
Jo added: “He couldn’t do what a normal baby could do. From the beginning we’ve had to teach him everything – from rolling to sitting.
“It’s the things you take for granted that he needs help with.
“But since his first treatment it’s easier for us to do things as a family.
“He is far less frustrated and he is very proud of himself. He is all smiles and much more confident.”
His parents are hopeful that with a further round of intensive treatment Harry will build up the muscle memory to walk on his own.
“With this next one I would hope that they would do a lot more on standing and taking steps,” Jo said.
Ms Stanesby and two friends will perform a charity skydive on October 30 to raise funds for the trip to the Health in Motion clinic. The couple are also planning a charity balloon race, auction and raffle.
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpingandfollowingharry?utm_id=2&utm_term=Q9RYZK4VX
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here