Call to bring a touch of magic to treatment of cerebral palsy
THE director of a building company is behind plans to fund innovative treatment improving the quality of life of young people living with a form of cerebral palsy.
Trevor Thorn’s nine-year-old son Ashton suffers from hemiplegia, a type of cerebral palsy where injury to the brain causes weakness or paralysis to one side of the body.
And he saw Ashton’s life transformed when he took part in the Breathe Magic intensive therapy programme.
Now Trevor and his wife Zoe, who run Thorn Homes Ltd at Staverton, are urging businesses to get behind the initiative to establish a fund for other children from the South West to benefit from the life-changing treatment.
The Breathe Magic programme is an award-winning approach to therapy.
Occupational therapists work alongside magicians from The Magic Circle to deliver 78 hours of intensive coordination and motor skills training during an engaging 10-day camp and three follow-up sessions.
The camp incorporates carefully-designed magic tricks and everyday activities to help improve co-ordination skills, allowing participants to complete tasks they could not do previously - improving their confidence, emotional wellbeing and quality of life.
Trevor has utilised his business contacts to secure more than £30,000 of funding from 12 local businesses.
This will mean
12 young people with hemiplegia will be able to attend a Breathe Magic Camp in the South West next year. But Trevor is not resting on his laurels and wants other businesses to back the campaign with the aim of funding 24 young people from the South West. He said: “I am in the fortunate position where I could afford to pay for my son Ashton to attend the Breathe Magic Camp.
“But I know other parents caring for children with hemiplegia do not have the disposable income to do the same and that doesn’t seem fair to a child.”
He continued: “The difference we’ve seen in Ashton since he attended the camp is extraordinary. “Even trying to open a bag of crisps, a task most people would take for granted, was extremely difficult for him. “Now he can do this and much more and his confidence has been transformed.” Ashton demonstrated his newfound magic skills to representatives of the businesses pledging their support at a celebration event organised to say thank you to those involved.
Adam Simmons, project co-ordinator for Breathe Arts Health Research, said: “The generosity of the Gloucestershire business community in supporting the Breathe Magic intensive therapy programme has exceeded our expectations and we’re incredibly grateful to Trevor and Zoe Thorn for driving this fundraising.
“We’re excited at the prospect of extending our reach into the South West and helping scores of youngsters from the region benefit from our innovative programme.”
Breathe Arts Health Research, who run the magic camp, want to contact parents of other Gloucestershire youngsters suffering from hemiplegia to encourage them to take part in the programme.
» Parents should contact Adam Simmons on 0203 2902013 if they wish their child to benefit from the programme.
The difference we’ve seen in Ashton since he attended the camp is extraordinary
Trevor Thorn