Taunton and South Somerset Living Oct - Nov 2021

Living with Cerebral Palsy
Ray's Story...
Ray was only 7 months old when his grandad noticed that he wasn’t
using his right arm. We became so frantic with worry that we ended
up taking him to A&E where a sympathetic paediatrician informed
us our beautiful little boy had Cerebral Palsy. It was a devastating
diagnosis as we had no idea how it would affect Ray.
We wanted to do something to help him. We read books and went
online. There was so much information it was overwhelming. Our
health visitor recommended taking Ray to bibic, so we booked him in
for an assessment as soon as we could.
Ray's Journey with bibic...
When we arrived at bibic we instantly felt welcome and reassured.
One of the therapists explained Ray had hemiplegia which means his
brain is injured on one side, similar to a stroke. We were given physical
exercises to do every day to give him the best chance to develop.
Ray came on very quickly. Soon after our first visit Ray sat up and
started bum shuffling around. He got up and walked before he was
18 months old! I’ll never forget the reaction of the therapists when Ray
walked into bibic by himself, it was wonderful. Each time we took Ray
to bibic they would spend a day assessing his abilities and identifying
areas where he was struggling and then giving us a plan to help
improve those areas.
Ray would love to show off his
newly learned skills each time.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Life for Ray Now...
Ray is 10 years old now and
is a very bright and active boy.
He loves to read and write. He
loves football, swimming and is brilliant at netball. As he’s grown up
his brain injury has thrown new challenges at him and us. We still use
the techniques we learnt at bibic to help Ray cope with everyday life.
He loves the visual timetable that bibic showed us. He loves routine
and knowing what will happen and what time each day, so the visual
reminder really eases his anxiety.
Ray can’t wait to come back into bibic again to show off how
much he can do and how much he’s grown. He recently went on a
two-night school residential trip where he took on all the physical
challenges presented to him...he never ceases to amaze the adults
who work with him.
We can’t thank bibic enough for all the support they’ve given Ray
and our family over the years. They really do help families like mine
navigate through the most difficult times.
- Ray’s mum
Over time these issues changed from physical problems to other
issues like speech, social skills, and learning. Each time we would
see dramatic improvements. We were always given very clear written
instructions to take away on how to help which were absolutely
essential as there is so much to take in. Ray always loved his bibic
visits, they made the sessions fun with lots of sensory play breaks.
bibic is a national charity based in Langport, Somerset. It delivers
therapeutic programmes to children and young adults aged 6 months
to 25 years with developmental and neurological difficulties. bibic
sees them with or without diagnosis and supports a wide range of
neurological and genetic conditions. If you want to enquire about how
we could help your child please visit www.bibic.org.uk
Acorn Solicitors are a friendly, local,
family run firm based in Taunton
and Street. We are well known
for our specialist knowledge and
personal style of working.
we are recruiting in your area...
Wills and Trusts
Powers of Attorney
Probate
Executor/Trustee
Conveyancing
Notary Public
Elderly Client Matters
Commercial Property
join our team!
We have no hidden charges or costs - we
tell you upfront clearly what you will pay.
for more information, go to
affinitytrust.org/jobs
07584 528380
50 Upper High St, Taunton TA1 3PY Tel: 01823 273010
www.acornsolicitors.com
lucywhite@affinitytrust.org
8 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk