Oliver was born on 14^th November 1989.  A normal, healthy baby in every respect, or so everyone thought. When Oliver was seven months old his parents became worried because he couldn’t crawl or sit without toppling over.  In September 1990, Oliver was diagnosed as having SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). The prognosis was not good - a life expectancy of ten years. Oliver is now 19 and is at university in Manchester studying BSc in Psychology.

 

The condition is genetic.  It affects the Anterior Horn Cells in the spinal cord.  These cells are the “middle man” when sending messages from the brain to the muscle.  The muscles waste due to lack of use.  It affects muscles throughout the body, except the face.  The condition is progressive; muscles become weaker as the child grows.  Because the condition is progressive Oliver is unable to do things now, which he could do when he was a little boy.  Family videos and photographs of when he was younger can be heartbreaking to see.

Oliver is on a ventilator at night time to help his breathing.  A simple cold or cough can quite easily turn into a life threatening chest infection or pneumonia. 

 

In September 2001, Oliver underwent major surgery to his spine.  Because the muscles in the spine are so weak a curvature (scoliosis) forms and his already weak chest would become crushed .  His spine was fused with two metal rods the length of his spine to straighten it. 

It was a difficult decision to go ahead with this operation; the anaesthetist was worried that Oliver’s chest would not be up to the 8 hour operation.  But without this operation, Oliver would become more twisted, until he would not be able to sit up at all.  His life expectancy would have been dramatically reduced. Oliver spent three weeks in intensive care.  But all through his ordeal, he remained positive and worked his socks off to get better. 

 

Please visit www.jtsma.org.uk for information on this condition.  All funds that we raise will be paid directly to the JTSMA who are a registered charity and then paid to the supplier of the Ceiling Track Hoist.  So you can be sure that your money will be used to buy the hoist. 

Oliver has moved out of Halls of Residence and is moving into a shared student flat.  The flat is being adapted for Oliver by turning the en-suite into a “wet room” and widening doorways.  This has all been funded by his family. 

Oliver is confined to his electric wheelchair. He needs this ceiling track hoist to move from his bed to his wheelchair and shower chair.  Oliver’s bedroom and wet room are too small to work safely with a manual hoist.  So only a ceiling track hoist will do which will cost £2700. 

Oliver was awarded “Best improved” student and received a cup from 6^th Form College.  He was predicted to achieve D and E grades for his 3 A Levels, when he actually achieved A and two Bs.  This wasn’t because Oliver suddenly became smart.  But because of the fact that Oliver cannot physically handle books he cannot even turn a page.  When he started 6^th from he found out about PDFs (a file of the book that you can read on a computer screen).   He contacted the publishers and persuaded them to send him the PDFs.  The publishers were reluctant, because of copyright.  When he started uni last year, he was told that all of this would be arranged and could be funded.  But the PDFs never materialised – not one!  So this year rather than leave it to the “professionals” he has sorted it out himself and has his entire reading list in PDF format. 

I hope you will see that Oliver is worthy of your support.  He is compassionate and despite all that he has to put up with from life; he is always concerned about other people’s feelings.