THE mother of a three-year-old boy from Dumfries has expressed her joy after a special seat gifted to her son has helped the family bond.
Oliver Jenns has cerebral palsy meaning he is unable to sit upright unaided due to his condition, but thanks to support from children’s disability charity, Children Today, he now has a special ‘Go-To seat’.
Receiving the specialist seat has been a huge step forward as his mum Jennifer, explained: “Since getting the Go-To seat it’s really opened up Oliver’s world. He absolutely loves his food and mealtimes, but prior to getting the seat Oliver couldn’t join us at the dinner table, because he needed additional support. It’s just lovely that we can now be together as a family more and feel connected.
“He had to spend a lot of time in his buggy or lying down, but he’s such a sociable little boy and loves nothing more than watching the world go by. This seat means he’s upright and can see what’s going on around him more easily.”
The Go-To Seat is portable, meaning Oliver can use it out and about and when visiting friends and family. Jennifer added: “You don’t the realise the things you can’t do, until you can’t do them! Little things like being able to go out for dinner together as a family make a big difference.
“Raising a child with additional needs is so expensive. Everything comes with a higher price tag and there are always extra unanticipated expenses that come up, so we’re very grateful for Children Today’s support in providing Oliver’s seat. It’s made a big difference to us as a family!”
Oliver was born prematurely at 27 weeks and spent the first three months in hospitals. At just four-months old he also had an operation on his bowels.
Jennifer added: “We just have to take each day as it comes with Oliver. We don’t know if he’ll ever be able to walk, but we just feel lucky that he’s here. He’s doing really well considering what he’s been through in his short life.”
Charity director at Children Today, Emma Prescott commented: “Oliver’s story shows just how much having the right equipment is so important, not just for Oliver but for his whole family.
“It’s amazing how something as simple as a seat can literally be life-changing. It’s easy to take something as ordinary as sitting around the dinner table together as a family for granted, and fortunately for many of us we never even have to imagine not being able to do so.”
For more information about Children Today, visit www.childrentoday.org.uk.
