A chair provided by Knowsley Council for a four-year-old with Cerebral Palsy is too painful for her to use. Without a suitable alternative her spine is curving out of shape, leaving her facing surgery to straighten it with metal rods.
Maisie Reynolds’ arms and legs are affected by Cerebral Palsy and although she can’t talk, she communicates through her eyes, smiles and cries. She has seizures and is tube fed as she can easily choke.
Dad Marc Reynolds said: “Doctors say the curve to Maisie’s spine is getting worse, but with the right seat surgery could still be avoided. She has already been through so much. It’s ridiculous that she’s facing an operation which will cost the NHS a lot more than providing the right seat to stop her spine curving.”
In desperation Marc and Maisie’s mum, Rachel McClymont, turned to Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children which is trying to raise the £2,085 needed to give Maisie the right specialist seat to help keep her spine straight. The seat will also keep her supported, upright and able to play with her brothers Harry, six and six-month old Bobbi. But the charity needs your help to make this happen.
Marc added: “Knowsley Council did give us another piece of equipment, but it’s more of a standing frame and Maisie could only tolerate this up to an hour a day and it didn’t support her back. We also borrowed a specialist seat from friends, but this just helps Maisie relax, it doesn’t really meet her needs. We have tried everything we can, but we need help now.
“When Maisie was born we didn’t know anything about having a disabled child. We were in the dark, we thought there would be a lot of help for us from the hospital and our local council. We soon realised this wasn’t the case and we need to be really pro-active to get Maisie the help she needs. This is why charities like Newlife are so important.”
Newlife’s Head of Charity Operations Stephen Morgan says: “It’s vital that disabled children get the right piece of equipment at the right time – it’s not enough to provide a standard piece of equipment in every case and can often contribute to a worsening of a condition – which then puts added pressure on an already overstretched NHS. Please help us get Maisie the equipment she needs.”
Any funds raised above what is needed for Maisie will be used to help other disabled and terminally ill children in Merseyside.
