Ralph’s Story:

Eight hours after birth, Ralph became lifeless and had to be resuscitated. Bruises covered his head and the majority of his body. He was put on a ventilator and into an induced coma. The cause of this episode is still unknown, but it has left him with brain damage and incomplete paralysis from the waist down (T12).

The first few weeks were bleak, empty, and full of fear. Each day brought new ideas of what had happened, along with varied eventualities for his future. As the leads of medical treatment and diagnosis ran dry, so did our faith in the system. We were told that he would never be independent, that he would be severely disabled, and they couldn’t rule out this “episode” happening again. We didn’t think it was possible for our hearts to break so many times.

Then one day, at three weeks old, we saw his little toes wiggle. When we shared this with the doctors, we were told that “parents often see what they want to see out of desperation.” However, we knew what we had seen, and it gave us hope to fight for more for Ralph and a determination to research other options.

After seeking private physio, acupuncture, and osteopathy, we began to feel more in control of Ralph's recovery. Input equals output. Then, one day when Ralph was 6 months old, while watching the 6 o’clock news, we learned about the opening of a specialist spinal injury rehabilitation centre for kids, Neurokinex, in Crawley. This was the beginning of something new for Ralph—a vision that the impossible is possible.

Neurokinex, underpinned by American evidence-based research, believes that, contrary to NHS belief, spinal cords can recover. Over the last three years, Ralph has attended Neurokinex twice a week to benefit from their innovative therapy—Activity-based Rehabilitation, Locomotor Training, and Wide-Pulse Electrical Stimulation.

Ralph’s Progress:

December 2018 (Ralph 1 year old): After 6 months of treatment, Ralph regained some sensation in his lower limbs, he was able to crawl like a caterpillar, and could momentarily sit up (this doesn’t seem like much, but at diagnosis, we were told by the doctors to expect that he would never be able to do this!). At this point, we felt confident that the treatment Ralph was receiving was having a huge impact, and we needed to step it up.

January 2019: We began an intensive 80-session Locomotor Training programme where Ralph would attend Neurokinex five days a week for six months.

In Ralph’s second week of the programme, he began crawling with reciprocal legs. It felt like a miracle! At the end of the programme, Ralph had recovered the majority of his upper trunk and had gained a core abdominal strength that I can only describe as superhuman. His strong core allowed him to find balance while sitting, thus increasing his independence and allowing for more social interaction with his peers. Paralysis doesn’t just affect someone’s ability to walk; bodily function issues are damaged too. So, when we saw improvements in Ralph’s motor function and limb activity, we assumed that recovery had been made in areas of Ralph’s body that we cannot see or currently assess. Recovery is recovery.

The intensive programme cost us £10k at £80 per session. We are so thankful to those who gave so generously during this period and to those who raised funds enabling Ralph to undertake therapy. It really was life-changing for Ralph, and we will forever be thankful.

July 2020: With five months of no intensive therapy due to COVID-19, we began to see a decline in Ralph’s core stability. He would often lose his balance, which would regularly result in broken teeth, bruising, and tears, but his aptitude for independent living was ever increasing.

March 2021: After watching his brother Wilbur play around with a walking frame, Ralph decided it was time for him to try walking! It was a very proud moment. Although we know that the weight-bearing element of Ralph’s assisted walking is extremely limited, the leg/step control he has is something we didn’t think we’d ever see him achieve.

Ralph’s Ongoing Needs:

Neurokinex: Ralph’s standard sessions (three a week) cost us around £10k a year. For us, this is the foundation of his recovery.

Orthotics: To help support Ralph’s deformed and weak ankles, he uses AFOs. These cost around £2,500 a year.

Trike: Ralph is able to ride a therapy trike, but the cost is around £3.5k, and the waiting list to have one made is lengthy. We are in the process of choosing a manufacturer, but the need for funds is always an obstacle.

USA Trip: The trip, excluding accommodation, is likely to cost us around £7k.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any donation you can give—it means so much to us and, of course, to Ralph.

Mark and India xx

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 objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.