Isla the Incredible is my amazing daughter who is a smart, beautiful, sassy and inquisitive 6-year-old girl. Owing to a birth injury, Isla has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and needs lots of regular therapy to help her. As her parents, we are constantly fighting to ensure that Isla is able to have some independence and strive to reach her full potential.

Isla made a speedy entry to the world but tragically, suffered a hypoxic incident and had to be resuscitated at birth, transferred to another hospital for medical cooling and spent the first 5 weeks of her life in intensive care. It was 5 whole days before we were able to hold our precious, much longed-for baby.

A little more about our super star.Isla is non-ambulant but walks with a walker, is non-verbal, however has a high level of receptive and expressive language using different methods of communication aids, including eye-gaze, PODD book, partner assisted scanning and switches. In terms of language, she is currently working on Shape Coding to form stories. Isla shows so much determination, has a great sense of humour and loves to cause mischief and laugh out loud!

Isla has privately funded physiotherapy and other forms of intensive therapy weekly, including hydrotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language. These therapies are helping increase Isla's core strength, head control, limb strength and her ability to communicate. The more therapy and access to specialised equipment we can give Isla, especially in the formative years, the more we help her to reach her optimum potential and hopefully allow her some independence.

Intensive therapy is extremely important for children like Isla, but there is little provision for specialist intensive therapy on the NHS. Our hope therefore is to make tri-annual trips to NAPA Centre London for 3-week blocks of intensive therapy which aim to help Isla build new neural connections and assist her towards sitting unaided, weight bearing and having better control of her upper limbs. Working on her communication skills is also a key goal as, Isla certainly has a lot she wants to say!

Isla has an infectious smile, tries SO hard and brings joy to everyone she meets. Helping Isla the Incredible to reach her full potential would be the best gift we could ever give her.

We thank you for any support you can offer our incredible little girl.