Elizabeth Chaplin
Putney & Wood Waterloo anniversary bike ride
Fundraising for Tree of Hope
Story
We have 20 riders (mainly unfit and middle aged) completing the gruelling 3 day bike ride from south Ockendon in Essex to Waterloo in Belgium.
The 240 mile ride will be marking the glorious defeat of the French army, marking the end of the infamous battle of Waterloo 200 years ago.
Our riders pain will be slightly eased in the knowledge that their battle is supporting a very special little girl for whom life is often an up hill ride. her story is told by her parents......
Ava is our five year old treasure. She as born six weeks prematurely, initially appearing perfectly healthy but at 10 days old our world fell apart when she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus which caused a life threatening build up of fluid in her brain. An infection had caused damage throughout every section of her brain, damaging her eyes and leaving her blind. Ava went on to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which effects all her limbs and she is epileptic.
Ava initially coped very well with her condition and was making slow and steady progress. She had learnt to sit independently, stand with support, was able to feed herself and say "mum, dad and Nan". In March 2011 Ava's shunt blocked,fluid built up in her brain and misdiagnosis meant a delay in treatment . When Ava recovered from surgery we realised she had lost all the skills she had fought so hard to get and seizures were taking control of her life, making progress incredibly difficult . It took two years to stabilise Ava after this trauma but she started to fight back and we started to recognise the little girl we had had.
In the summer of 2013, we learnt that Ava's left hip had dislocated. Her right hip was also compromised. Our dreams of seeing her stand again were shattered!
We had heard about the Adeli medical Centre through one of Ava's friends who has been making regular trips and has made remarkable progress and we wondered if they could help Ava. In September 2013 we took Ava for a two week course of intensive rehabilitation. It was like nothing she had ever done before and there were moments where we worried if we had even done the right thing but within 48hours we could see a difference! At the end of the stay Ava graduated. She had worked incredibly hard and we were all extremely proud. The results were staggering and testament to all her hard work. They had reduce the spasticity in her legs by over 50%! Her legs, that had been locked together for so long were able to open 8cm wide and she was able to wrap her legs around my waist for the first time in years! Her posture was amazing, awareness and responsiveness increased. It was like being given back the little girl we had lost years ago.
Since that first trip, Ava has returned to Adeli regularly. Each trip has brought new gifts, it's increased Ava's levels of awareness and understanding, decreased the number of seizures she endures, improved concentration and listening skills, increased speech sounds, increased upper body strength enabling her to hug us for the first time and opened up neurological pathways that have enabled her to laugh! The most magical gift so far!
On 22nd Novemeber 2014 Ava said Mummy for the first time! .
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