School’s bid to give Tom his freedom back
ATEEN who was confined to a wheelchair by a sudden bout of paralysis is being helped by his old primary school.
Tom Hogan, 16, has battled cerebral palsy since he was an 18-month-old toddler having almost died from suspected tuberculosis meningitis at six weeks old.
But in March things got worse for the Bacup boy when he awoke to find that he was paralysed from the chest down after being struck down by a rare neurological disease.
His parents, Nicola and James Hogan, fear their passionate, energetic son, whose hobbies included horse riding and running before he was paralysed, has lost his independence.
They are currently raising funds for Tom to undergo lifealtering surgery to relieve the pain in his legs and back.
Thankfully his old primary school, Holy Trinity of Stacksteads, are assisting with Tom’s fundraising.
“He’s got a lovely energetic character, he’s a lovely young man and is remembered fondly by everyone here,” deputy head Angela Warburton said.
“When we heard the bad news from his mum we were so upset because we remember him as active and energetic.
“He had a go at everything, even though he struggled and spent more time in a wheelchair during his last year here with cerebral palsy, he still had a go.
“He lived like he wasn’t disabled, you wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with him.
“He was such a character he never moaned, he was always happy, that’s why everyone was so shocked and touched by it.”
Holy Trinity have so far raised more than £400 for Tom.
The school have hosted “elf days” inspired by Christmas in order to help fund life altering SDR surgery for Tom.
It is believed that the operation will ease the stiffness and tension in his back and legs but due to Thomas’ age the surgery is not funded on the NHS.
Tom’s mum, Nicola, said that the surgery will make a huge to her son whose freedom was taken away after he was paralysed.
“There is a real chance he will never walk again,” the 41-yearold told the Free Press.
“I don’t think it hit us for ages, we always had that hope that it would be alright eventually.
“Even if it was like this for a couple of weeks it would all be fine. It was around the three month mark that we realised it wasn’t getting any better.
“That was just heartbreaking, it was devastating. That realisation was horrific.”
Tom developed suspected tuberculosis meningitis when he was six weeks old and almost died.
Though he survived, the condition later cased him to have cerebral palsy as an 18-monthold toddler.
In March, Thomas awoke to find that he could no longer hold himself up and later found out that he was paralysed from the armpit down.
Although back at high school, Tom’s life has dramatically changed and he is permanently confined to his wheelchair.
Tom is sad that he can no longer do the simple things; like get himself a drink, sleep upstairs in his room or play around with his eight-year-old brother Jack.
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