Helping little Lana stand up
Grant-making organisation comes to aid of girl born with cerebral palsy
A MUM has thanked a Whiteley firm for donating a brace that will help her disabled daughter to stand up and take steps.
The Eight Foundation, a grant-making organisation set up by Eight Wealth Management, gave the IKAN brace to Lana Brown, from Stubbington.
Eight-year-old Lana was born with cerebral palsy and needs an operation called selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), which cuts selected nerve roots in the spinal cord to reduce stiffness.
Her mother Nickki has set up a fundraising campaign called Lana’s Desire to Aim Higher to try and raise the £45,000 needed to pay for the operation privately as Lana does not qualify for it on the NHS.
The Eight Foundation had been closely watching the family’s attempts to raise money, and decided to pitch in.
Victoria Riggs, Eight Foundation manager, said: ‘When we saw the incredible progress Lana was making, and the dedication that Nickki puts in to being Lana’s mummy, we wanted to hep.
‘The foundation doesn’t just pop money in a pot, we like it to be on something specific.
‘So with the news of Lana’s fundraising campaign, we wanted to help.’
Nickki said the brace had made a huge difference to their lives already.
She said: ‘Thank you does not really feel enough. I had never seen her standing in anything other than a huge bulky frame.
‘So it is just wonderful to see her standing in this brace.
‘She loves being able to stand at the sink and do the washing up. It is so surreal to see her standing, it is fantastic, and I am sure it will do amazing things for her.’
Victoria added: ‘Lana has shown such tremendous strength and resilience and is already spending significant periods of time in the brace.
‘Myself and our chairman Ian Riggs went to visit Lana and it was very emotional to see her standing up at the sink washing up, it made it all very clear why we do what we do.
‘We are incredibly privileged to be a small part of Lana’s journey.’
Nickki also encouraged people to donate, as they are still £27,000 short of the money needed for the lifechanging operation.
She said: ‘It is tough, but Lana really does deserve it.’
To donate, go to just4children.org/children-helped2019/lanas-desireto-aim-higher/
For more on the foundation, go to facebook.com/letsbeamazingtogether.