Go Go Gwilym!

Gwilym has mild bilateral Cerebral Palsy when he was just over one year old. After his diagnosis, Gwilim’s routine weekly physiotherapy sessions took on more importance and we quickly realised that we needed to be more proactive in helping Gwilym with the simplest actions. He moved around only by crawling and would need both his hands to be held and ‘guided’ to walk until he was three and a half.

When Gwilym was 3, the family celebrated many ‘firsts’ which included pushing himself into a standing position, standing on his own for a couple of seconds which was extended by a second at a time. When he started school, he was able to coast and walk a few metres between the surfaces.

But in lockdown, like many other families experienced, Gwilym's NHS physiotherapy was completely stopped, like thousands of others and so they had to find other means to ensure Gwilym's progress wasn't halted. The family came across 'SDR Rehab' in Cwmbran and have since worked wonders with Gwilym and is still helping him develop the mindset of a mini athlete. Gwilym works hard and loves alternating between the silliness of balloon games and dancing and the challenge of weighted sit-ups and and squats.

This therapy is preparing Gwilym for his Selective Dorsal Rhiztomy (SDR) procedure on the NHS and will require significant after care post operation and so enlisted Tree of Hope's help in 2022. 

The family have gone from strength to strength with their fundraising and have developed great confidence in putting themselves out there to drum up support and have exceeded their target of £20,000 with thanks to the help of their local community, friends and family and have benefitted from the use of social media to share their story and raise awareness. 

We’ve spent the last 6 months feeling very grateful to our friends and family for all the amazing fundraising events that have been put on for Gwilym's benefit. We initially aimed to raise £18,000 by Gwilym's 6th birthday in March 2023 which we achieved. We have been able to pay for blocks of intensive physiotherapy over this summer holiday and know we have the money needed to start Gwilym's 2 years of post-surgery rehabilitation. Any further money raised will ensure that he has the best rehabilitation. We just want to thank everyone once again for all your donations – and thank you for simply getting this far and reading about our superboy!

Ffion, Mum to Gwilym

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