Georgina was a star on Children in Need
A Kippen mum has spoken of her pride after her caring daughter became a star for the night as part of TV’s annual Children in Need appeal.
Laura Gavigan’s eight-year-old daughter Georgina helps to care for her severely disabled brother Archie and was the focus of a short film for the televised appeal, talking about the help she receives from Stirling Young Carers.
Archie was diagnosed with the rare disorder multi-focal diffused cystic encephalomalacia in 2012 at the age of four months and given a very poor diagnosis.
His MRI report showed his brain was full of cysts with more than 90 per cent brain damage, and he was diagnosed with severe spastic quadraplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy and cortical vision impairment.
Since then his family - including sister Georgina and dad Kevan have remained focused on maximising Archie’s quality of life.
Mum Laura said:“Georgie is very outgoing and just gets on with life and is amazing with Archie, but she has a lot to deal with.
“It was quite overwhelming to hear her say on the Children in Need film about how she worries sometimes about Archie passing away. There are often things that children don’t want to say because they don’t want their parents to be upset so support is so important.
“Stirling Young Carers have been great for Georgie. She loves it and feels she has people there she can relate to and who relate to her.
“She goes once a month to the Kippen group, takes part in games and activities and has been on trips away. There’s always something going on and they also work with her school.
“It was great that Georgie had the chance to highlight how much they have helped her as part of Children in Need, which help to support Stirling Young Carers.”
Archie is now five years old and still profoundly disabled, however the family credits a therapy called ABR (advanced biochemical rehabilitation) as helping him make much more progress than was ever expected.
The home-based, hands-on treatment performed by parents does not use drugs, surgery or forceful techniques, and is credited by some as helping improve muscular/skeletal structure and motor functions.
Laura says the therapy has helped Archie to hold his head up and also strengthens the chest and lungs, increases mobility of the spine and improves digestion, and - given it is not government funded - it has only been possible through the help of charity Children’s Aid.
“We would never be able to afford it without their help,”said Laura, who recently spoke about her own experiences with Archie at a black tie event for the charity.