On Saturday 12th August, our very own superhero Matthew will be taking part in the Superhero Triathlon! He will be swimming 400m, cycling 10km, and running 2.5km with his sidekick big sister. 

Not only that, both Matthew and Lucy have been selected to partake in the Celebrity Superhero Relay. Matthew will be running 1km in Sophie Christiansen's team, and Lucy will be cycling 3km in Adam Hill's team -  all whilst dressed as a superhero!

The Superhero Series are all about making people feel included. We never thought the twins would ever be able to do anything like this but once again, they continue to  prove us wrong. 

Life with cerebral palsy, dystonia and ASD makes life a little different but The Johnston Twins - Matthew and Lucy, will never fail to spread sunshine to everyone they meet. They say you can't put a price on a child's quality of life, but they do - and it's steep! The NHS won’t fund their requirements because it’s not guaranteed to work, so we fundraised for them to have their SDR operations and there is truly no stopping them now.

Unfortunately even after the surgeries, the twins require intense therapy including physio, speech, occupational and hydro to make it all worth while. Putting 100% into everything they are asked to do has become the norm for Matthew and Lucy - but to make this all worthwhile, this has to be sustained at a cost of £50k per year.

Our family appreciate every ounce of effort, penny, and love we have been supported with over the past 4 years. It doesn’t go unnoticed and the twins would not be anywhere near where they are today without the incredible support network we are surrounded by.

Matthew is hilarious and has really come into his own following his SDR surgery in 2020, gaining a little bit more of the freedom he deserves. It’s hard to imagine a 6 year old having to do weight training just to be able to enjoy the freedom of walking. Despite being told Matthew would be wheelchair bound for life, he is now taking independent steps where safe to do so, is confident walking with his frame, and now only needs his wheelchair when his legs get a little tired.

Lucy had her surgery just last year and despite doctors saying she would never be able to speak, sit up on her own, or control her own body - she is now the chattiest person, is on the road to being able to walk with her frame, and is getting more and more independent as days go by. Although she is in a lot less pain, her physio regime is tough - but she always does it with the biggest smile on her face. Lucy is the happiest child around, her laugh is infectious, and she makes everyone she meets smile. We just want to give her an opportunity to live her life to the absolute fullest and make that smile a little bit bigger!