Daily Management Review

Vaeda’s Parents Fight Cerebral Palsy Beside Her


09/01/2015


Cerebral Palsy couldn’t take down, the four year old Vaeda as her parents stand by her to make sure that she improves through every possible way they can.



It is definitely quite a shocking news for parents of a one year old child that the latter has Cerebral Palsy. In fact, Lorrie Jollimore and her husband Jeff Matheson went through the exactly same situation when they were informed that their daughter, Vaeda Zo Matheson has been diagnose of Cerebral Palsy at the age of one. As for the parents:

“(They)... had no idea what to expect with regard to the pace - or the degree - of their daughter’s development”.
 
Three years have passed since the news of Vaeda’s disease was broken to her parents. Since then, her mother worked tirelessly ensuring that Vaeda’s growth is not hampered by her disease, whereby at present she can “sing and dance despite her Cerebral Palsy diagnosis”. While, Vaeda’s father, Matheson held campaigns “with great persistence and fanfare” highlighting the fact that “physical medicine services in P.E.I.” required improvement for children with Cerebral Palsy. Owing to Matheson’s efforts, the province earmarked almost “$4-million” worth investments to be made over a period of five years in order to improve healthcare facilities for children with special disabilities.
 
Vaeda has turned out to be a bubbly amicable girl, although she had “suffered a stroke” in her mother’s womb which resulted in a brain injury arresting the movements of her left side. Consequently, the neural developments in the early stage were not “well formed” which affected her left leg, hand and arm. As soon as the parents came to know of Vaeda’s problem they began her osteopathic treatment whereby Vaeda’s left arm movements began.
 
The parents underwent a week training of Anat Baniel Method through ten intensive lessons. Following that Vaeda’s sitting posture got corrected and she stopped “leaning to the left” while sitting up. Encouraged by the positive signs Jollimore began investing all her resources together – money, time and energy – whereby she is always trying to learn ways in how best she can help “her daughter upwards and onwards”. She gave up her twenty years’ graphic designing career and solely devotes her time to Vaeda. Moreover, she also went on to take further ABM training and become a certified practitioner. She continues with the ABM Children’s Master Program and travels to California for this whenever needed. The “annual Harley Currie Memorial Golf Tournament” at is to take place at Glen Afton on the 27th September 2015 will give a financial helping hand to complete her training sessions which totally amount to “$60,000”. In Jollimore’s words:

“All the money put into it, it’s been worth every penny’’.
 
Jollimore looks forward to help Vaeda and children like her with professional treatment, while Vaeda continues to improve through “intensive lessons, increased physiotherapy and occupational therapy”. The four year old can now walk on her own with the help of a walker., while Jollimore adds:
“That’s all parents want for their kids is for them to run and play like other kids - and that is what she can do.

“She now runs, and jumps unassisted.’’
 
The mother doesn’t entertain any negative thoughts about her daughter for she is confident that by the age of twenty Vaeda will “show no visible signs of Cerebral Palsy”. Vaeda will join “pre-kindergarten in September” and the mother says:

“I honestly don’t see a limitation”.


References:
The Guardian