Holly Charlesworth
Holly's and Neil's Skydive for Bens operation
Fundraising for Tree of Hope
Story
I'm fundraising for Benjamin Butler. He is 5 years old. Ben has cerebral palsy. This condition causes tightness and spacticity in both arms and legs. Sitting unaided is difficult, commando crawling is done with maximum help & walking is something Ben would just love to be able to do unaided but can't. He needs physio daily, to be put in equipment such as wheelchairs & standing frames to avoid him forming deformities as he's growing & needs help with feeding, drinking & all other daily tasks we all take for granted.
We are fundraising for any physiotherapy, equipment & for Ben to be able to have an operation. SDR (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy) will remove the spasticity in Ben's legs, therefore removing all the pain & enabling Ben to use his "normal" muscles. The operation is in St Louis, Missouri, America & for the life-changing operation and essential post-op therapy we will need to raise a HUGE £60k!!!!
Ben has had intensive physiotherapy courses at a centre in Oxford in the past. He has therapy 2 hours a day, for 3 weeks, with highly trained therapists using equipment they don't have any where else in England. We aim to take Ben there 3 times a year but at £1500 a session it means we need to fundraise to continue to take him. He also has weekly sessions with a private therapist.
Ben is such a determined, fun and happy boy but his physical restrictions are extremely frustrating for him. His mind is so willing but his body just won’t let him do what he wants to. We would like to do everything we can to help him overcome these challenges and live his life as full and as pain free as possible!