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Joseph's Story - At my 8 week check my mam mentioned to the doctor that I didn't look to the left and the right side of my head was starting to go flat. The doctor referred me to the physiotherapist. She told my parents that I have Torticollis which means my neck muscles are tight and shorter on the left preventing me from turning left. My parents were shown how to do my excersises with me, how to hold/carry me and position me in my squiddle set. My physio visits me every other week to see how i am doing and to work with me.

As a result of not being able to turn my head to the left, i have developed deformational plagiocephaly, the right side of my head is really flat, it has caused my face to be asymmetric.

My parents spend every minute of every day re-positioning me, making sure I have lots of tummy time and got me a special pillow from Norway to take the pressure off my skull. Unfortuntatly it hasn't made a difference to my head.

On Tuesday we are going to Leeds to visit The Technology in Motion Clinic and the Steeper Clinic to get my head assessed for a helmet.

The Nhs see my head condition as purely cosmetic and will not fund my treatment for cranial remoulding which will be done by wearing a helmet even though I am at an incresed risk of developing problems with visaul tracking, mandibular asymmetry, auditory threshold insufficency and development delays.

The cost of a helmet is around two thousand pound. My parents are going to fundraise for me with the help of my family and friends, they plan to have lots of fun doing this and really hope that together we can raise the money for a helmet.

Just giving is a way you can donate to help fund my helmet if you would like to, any donations will be passed to head start for babies for my treatment.

My parents will keep you updated on me, my visits to the clinics and the fundraising events. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

My story continued.....................The trip to Leeds, we arrived at the Technology in Motion clinic my mam was feeling very nervous and anxious, I was feeling hungry and was pleased to see my bottle. We were greeted by Steve and taken into his room. He first asked my mam and dad all about how i came into the world, I was happy daddy was giving me my bottle and then he asked to hold me, because I'm such a friendly boy I was happy to go, mam was bit worried I would be sick!

Steve worked with me, like the physio does at home and he talked with mam and dad and showed them a new exercise to do with me to help strenghten my trunk on both sides. I was just looking and smiling at my mam quite happy.

Steve then moved onto my head, he measured it different ways and asked my mam and dad what did they think, they didnt really know because they see me everyday and don't know any other baby with plagiocephaly so he showed them a chart, he explained his chart and my head was in the category of very severe, my mam gasped and looked at my dad. Steve asked if they were o.k and mam said it just not what you to hear. Steve explained how his helmet will help me to move down the categories.

Steve showed us a helmet, I had a feel, it was cool had a racing car design on. It was time to scan my head. Steve put a sock with holes in onto my head and sat me in a chair with fun toys in front of me. He cut my ears out and mam and dad had a giggle they thought i looked like a wrestler. My head was scanned with the laser, very quick. My head appeared on the screen and that was it assessment done.

We left and headed straight over to the Steeper Clinic which was other side of Leeds just to make sure we could find it, my dad got us there no problem.

Another bottle later it was time for the Steeper Clinic assessment. We met Kate, I was fast aseep by this time and she asked mam and dad again all about my birth. She measured my head and told my mam and dad it was very severe plagiocephaly.

I was woken up and not too happy! Kate placed a sock onto my head this time without holes and mam placed me in the laser scanner which was a tunnel and I was scanned, again it was very quick. I was then put into a bumbo while Kate took digital photo of the top and back of my head.

My head came up onto the computer and Kate showed mam and dad, my ears weren't in line and my right ear and cheek is pushed forward because of my plagiocephaly. Kate explained how a helmet would help and mam and dad got another look and feel.

Both clinics were keen to get started with my treatment asap thanks to all your amazing donations, it was just up to mam and dad to decide which clinic to give the go ahead too.

It wasn't an easy decision, at lunchtime mam rang Steve at Technology in Motion and told him they wanted him to do my treatment so I am getting a TiMband helmet next friday. My mam and dad will keep my story going and let you all know how the helmet fitting goes.