Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I have never run a marathon and until last June I couldn't even run 5k but this year I am running in order to rake much needed funds for Leo.

Leo’s was born 10 weeks premature by emergency caesarean on the 14th June 2013 and weighing 2.2 pounds. Upon his arrival it was going to be a very long time for him in the special care baby units. Unfortunately being so premature it does carry risks and after a CT scan it was found that Leo suffered a pre birth haemorrhage in his brain and it could be said what the future would be for him and only time will tell. Over the coming weeks/months Leo had regular head scans to see how much the haemorrhage had damaged his brain and then he got the prognosis that Leo has Hemiplegia on his left side a form of cerebral palsy and high muscle tone in the affected side. On the plus side 90% hemiplegics do eventually walk but will require a lot of physiotherapy to strengthen his weaker side. Leo is now 2 and has surprised everyone with his progress, early intervention and hard dedication is very important whilst the brain is still developing. Although he’s not walking yet he is a very happy little boy and gets around crawling and bum shuffling in his own cute little way. Intellectually he is like any other child but he is delayed due to his prematurity and will catch up eventually. Leo also has speech delay and is having speech and language therapy. Unfortunately due to the cuts in our NHS Leo doesn’t get enough care he fully deserves that’s sufficient for his progress and getting equipment is very expensive and that’s why we are fund raising to give Leo the best possible chance in life to succeed. 

What is the money for?Because of his Hemiplegia he has high muscle tone in his leg and arm and that results in a form of toe poking and closed fist. There is a life changing new pioneering operation that Leo can have called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) Unfortunately the NHS will not fund this and his family will have go private. Without this he is going to find it really difficult to be mobile for the rest of his life and this is it something we can let  happen. Children just like Leo that has had this surgery go on to live normal independent lives. Basically they take two vertebrae from his lower spine and send electrical pulses down each nerve, once the muscle spasticity is located they just simply cut the nerve and place the vertebrae back in to the body and that releases the high tone. Leo can only have this procedure when he becomes 5 years old due to the risks involved but after the operation he is required to have intensive physiotherapy for about a year to strengthen his leg and affected side.

With premature babies and not everybody is the same, Leo is struggling with his speech and requires speech and language therapy, again the NHS cuts only give us 1 hour a month if they are lucky and that just doesn’t cut it. So again the private sector is the family's  only option.The SDR operation and the intensive physiotherapy does cost a large amount of money and without your donation it would take it past Leos 5th birthday and in reality it might never happen due to the costs, £70000 needs to be raised. Please help!

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