Mother's £10k target to help cerebral palsy sufferer son walk into school alone
A mother has started a £10,000 campaign to help her son who has cerebral palsy walk into his day at school unaided.
Three-year-old Oliver Dempsey can currently only crawl or walk with the help of a frame but mother Abby Baker is battling to get him walking alone.
The 26-year-old from Staffordshire has launched the Stand Up 4 Ollie campaign, which raised more than £800 in one week. She is hopes to use cash raised with the Just4Children charity to support her son with movement therapy and equipment he cannot get on the NHS.
Oliver, from Castle Fields in Stafford, was born prematurely at 36 weeks with periventricular leukomalacia, which saw him diagnosed with diplegia cerebral palsy, a conditions that affects his lower limbs.
Part of the funding would also pay for house adaptions such as ramps for the front door and rails in the bathroom so he can access the toilet and bath independently.
said: "We are fundraising to get him some movement therapy and equipment because the NHS have taken him as far as he can. We've made a target of £10,000 altogether.
"They have been really helpful but since the cuts backs they haven't go much time to fit Ollie and having private therapy would really benefit him.
"We want him to get walking more independently before he starts school next September.
"I contacted Just4Children because my friend, whose son has the same condition, had worked with them. They've been really good and really helpful. Ollie's condition affects his legs, he can't stand on his own and can't walk. He can do things from a crawling point of view but anything that involves standing he struggles with."
Abby is holding a family fun day at Stafford Cricket Club featuring activities, tombola and face painting on July 3.
She said: "I am very proud of Ollie. He is so determined and gives everything a go.
"We are really pleased with how the campaign is going so far after about a week and a half. There has been some great support from businesses who have donated raffle prizes."
Jacqueline Tapp, treasurer of Just4Children, said she hoped the therapy would give Ollie confidence.
To donate to the campaign visit www.just4children.org and search for Stand Up 4 Ollie.
