On behalf of Carina, Adam, and their daughter Paisley, a truly inspiring local family, I’m sharing their story in the hope that you might consider making a donation, big or small, to help make a difference in Paisley’s life. In her own words, Carina shares what they are going through:

This is the beautiful Paisley. She was born on the 24th of February 2019, arriving 11 weeks early at just 29 weeks. She spent nearly 9 weeks in the NICU at the RUH, showing incredible strength and determination from the very start.

As she grew, Paisley met her milestones a little later than expected, but she always amazed us with her resilience. During the lockdown in 2020, we noticed that standing and walking seemed to be a real struggle for her. After countless appointments, assessments, and discussions with specialists, Paisley was diagnosed with cerebral palsy spastic diplegia.

This condition affects her muscle control and movement, particularly in her legs, making everyday activities a challenge. Despite this, Paisley never stops smiling, laughing, and showing her amazing spirit.

Over the last year Paisley has been on the pathway towards SDR surgery (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy) a life changing procedure that reduces spasticity in the lower limbs. SDR offers Paisley a chance to move more freely, walk with less pain, and enjoy greater independence.

On the 2nd of September we received the call we’d been waiting for. Bristol Children’s Hospital confirmed Paisley could have the surgery this coming October. We were shocked at how soon the surgery would be, but also so eager to move forward as we truly believe this will help Paisley be more comfortable and give her a better quality of life.

We are so grateful that Paisley is able to receive this incredible procedure through the NHS, however, the rehabilitation afterwards is intensive and requires specialist physiotherapy sessions, equipment, and ongoing support- much of which is not funded.

We are hoping for Paisley to attend a specialist SDR clinic in Wales post op, where she will receive the expert therapy and rehabilitation she needs to make the best recovery. This will give her the strongest possible chance of walking with more independence and enjoying a better quality of life.

Paisley is such a strong little girl, and has already overcome so many obstacles in her short life. We just want to support her the best we can, and give her the very best outcome from this surgery. Every donation, no matter how small, will help us get her the care and therapies she needs for the brightest future possible.