Vincent Simester Cerebral Palsy Warrior

Vincent is a wonderful, happy, cheeky, brave, kind & caring 5 year old with a smile that will melt your hearts.

Vincent has Cerebral Palsy Spastic Diplegia which affects his ability to walk, and also affects his coordination & his balance. 

He is full of determination to succeed in life. and works hard in all of his treatments.

Unfortunately the NHS doesn't provide enough therapy so we are fundraising to support Vincent with his private therapy and hoping to get him private AFO's as we have had nothing but problems with his NHS ones. and also some more physio equipment at home.

In July 2023 Vincent had Botulinum Toxin (Botox) treatment and unfortunately we didn't see much improvement, we will go back to Evalina in July and there is a possibility that he may be referred for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Surgery (SDR)  if so he will then require intense rehabilitation before, and after which is a potentially life changing spinal surgery. 

Vincent was born at 33 weeks on the 6th March 2018 weighing 4lb 10oz (we always joke he was in hurry to make my 1st mothers day 11th & my birthday on 12th as he was fed up with me moaning that id have to wait a year!). 

Vincent stayed in Margate's Special Care Baby UNIT (SCBU) for 17 days,  they was very happy and all was well and we got to go home to be a family of 3. 

He was a very happy, smiley, contented little boy,  as time went on we noticed he wasn't meeting his milestones, which I went to his Heath Visitor and doctor and his paediatrician and was told his premature he will get, crawling isn't a milestone,  

he eventually crawl at 15 months old with a clinched fist, which I brought up and again palmed off with that's how he likes to crawl, and he took his first steps at 2, on his 2 year check a week before the world got put in Lockdown due to the Covid Pandemic his Health Visitor again assured me all was ok as he could do everything he will be there soon, I was made out to be this over anxious mother, 

Lock down lifted slightly  and he went to his settling in session at pre school. I explained my concerned and the manager there said to me it doesn't matter how prem he was he should be walking by now, finally someone that listen and agreed with me, so back to the doctors & Health Visitors I went but because of Covid NHS wasn't allowing appointments. I was so desperate to get help and answers I found a private paediatrician, who see Vincent and sent us for an urgent MRI scan , the results on that scan later revealed he had Periventricular leukomalacia  (PVL) which occurred either during pregnancy or in birth.

Periventricular leukomalacia  (PVL) a type of brain injury that is most common in babies born too soon (premature) or at low birthweight. The white matter (leuko) surrounding the ventricles of the brain (periventricular) is deprived of blood and oxygen leading to softening (malacia). The white matter is responsible for transmitting messages from nerve cells in the brain so damage to the white matter can cause problems with movement and other body functions,  PVL is  one of the most common causes of cerebral Palsy.

The most common symptom is cerebral palsy, a condition that affects coordination and movement. Cerebral palsy is a very variable condition – some children may only have minor movement problems but others may have severe disabilities.

Vincent attends main stream school, which he absolutely loves he is doing well, the school are amazing with him. He uses his K walker at school to get around & wears his AFO's, He does also have a wheelchair to use when we go on long day outs & school trips,

He just absolutely loves life and doesn't let his CP stop him, he hates being left out and will give everything in life a go, 

You can find out more about Vincent and follow his journey in life with CP on his own Fb page: Vincents Fundraising Cerebral Palsy Warrior. 

Vincent is aware of his CP and we educate him ourselves his school and his page to make awareness of Cerebral Palsy and that it is Ok to be different,  We also celebrate the 6th October & 25th March which is World CP day & CP awareness day ( March is also CP awareness Month) #GOGREEN4CP

6th October 23, Vincent took in a green cake to share with his class and they spoke of CP in assembly. they also have a book at his school that we made of Vincent and his CP that the children and staff can look at to understand CP more. 

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7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs. If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects.  If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope. Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.Love The Simester Family