HUNTER children with cerebral palsy are seeing promising results from a local pediatric rehabilitation service previously only offered in the United States.
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Terese Clarke was told Spencer, her three-year-old son who has cerebral palsy, would never walk.
“I had someone tell me when he was 18 months that he would be in a wheelchair, and not to get my hopes up on him walking because it wouldn’t happen,” Ms Clarke, of Thornton, said.
“But now he is doing things that people said he wouldn’t.”
Spencer began seeing Newcastle exercise physiologist Anna Campbell at HealtheCo, which uses Redcord therapy, in June.
He was unable to push up on his hands and knees, he could not sit by himself. Now he can, and does.
“He is almost what I call big boy crawling now – he just needs a little bit more strength,” Ms Clarke said.
"When he does take steps he is supported, but before you had to do most of it for him. Now you can hold the tips of his shirt or his fingers, and he can pretty much do it all himself.”
The Clarkes had previously travelled to Sydney and Adelaide to access rehabilitation services via the Napa Centre and a three-week intensive program through TheraSuit.
“Redcord is used in America by a specialised children’s hospital to treat cerebral palsy, but I am unaware of anyone else using it for kids in Australia,” Ms Campbell said.
“I went down to Napa in Sydney and watched what they were doing, and they used this large cage with lots of different pulleys, but I just didn’t like the idea.
“I started researching less obtrusive ways of creating a similar training effect, and came across Redcord, and its ability to train the neuromuscular system to train the muscle to start working again and develop strength.
“The pulleys allow kids who can’t sit to sit, kids who can’t stand to stand, and kids who can’t walk to walk, because it takes some of the load off their bodies.”
Spencer Clarke just wants to be able to run with his older brother.
“The main aim with cerebral palsy is to keep the muscles as long as the bones,” Ms Clarke said.
“This therapy relaxes them, loosens them, but strengthens them as well.
“My aim for Spencer is to walk with sticks, and I think he will. I do have high hopes.”
