my boy has cerebal palsy and will soon be too big for his hospital buggy ?

[jake0711]

Hello, I have a little boy called jake who has cerebal palsy spastic diplegia. He is six in november and can walk (thank god ) but he is very unsteady on his feet and i currently have a hospital buggy its a mclaren. He can walk a good distance but his legs get tired and he want s to get into his buggy or if i have nt got his buggy with us he wants a carry which is getting harder and harder. Jake had a recent hospital appointment about his legs and they said they might have to put him in splints in a year or two. While i was there i enquired about what happens when he gets too big for his buggy and they said said about him getting a wheelchair. I was nt expecting this as he can actually walk so this has never entered my head but it does make sense as
like i said before he does get tired and wants to get into his buggy or a carry from me. Has anyone had any experience of what happens once their little one gets too big for their hospital . I would be grateful for any replies, thanks xxxxxx lesley xxxx

Reply

Hello, I have a little boy called jake who has cerebal palsy spastic diplegia. He is six in november and can walk (thank god ) but he is very unsteady on his feet and i currently have a hospital buggy its a mclaren. He can walk a good distance but his legs get tired and he want s to get into his buggy or if i have nt got his buggy with us he wants a carry which is getting harder and harder. Jake had a recent hospital appointment about his legs and they said they might have to put him in splints in a year or two. While i was there i enquired about what happens when he gets too big for his buggy and they said said about him getting a wheelchair. I was nt expecting this as he can actually walk so this has never entered my head but it does make sense as
like i said before he does get tired and wants to get into his buggy or a carry from me. Has anyone had any experience of what happens once their little one gets too big for their hospital . I would be grateful for any replies, thanks xxxxxx lesley xxxx

Reply

Hi you need to get referal to the wheelchair services physio can do or your paed

and there asses what he needs though do be prepared for a wait

Ask you paed or preferably physio, to refer Jake to wheelchair services, where eventually you'll be given a child's wheelchair.. usually an Invacare Blade. They aren't wonderful but ok for 'casual' use ..ie when he's tired. We had several over the years for my son; he walks but not far.. (now have an adult one as he's 13)

Some w/c services are quite quick..others it's a long wait, so ask now!

It goes up to 5okg but if tall means knees under the chin job but the folding bit is handy for chucking in cars

don't panic, dd had a wheelchair at that age and it was lovely, cadburys purple and very light.
tbh It got a lot less stares than a buggy, so made life easier imo

My MIL would fit in DS2's Major and be barely outside the weight limit if the seat was a bit wider for her bum! I know DS1 fits comfortably in it and he's a big almost 7 year old.

ds2 (spastic diplega) also walks but tires easily, he has a w/chair his physio measued him up & one was delivered a couple of weeks later.
He is 8 now & much prefers his w/chair to his mac major as he feels more grown up iykwim.

My DS is 6 but very tall and skinny (wears 8-9 clothes) so is the right weight for a Maclaren Major, but much too tall. It gave him no support whatsoever for his head, and no support under the back of his knees so was very uncomfortable for him.

He has a wheelchair (he can walk, but not very far without pain and fatigue) from wheelchair services, and we also bought him an Independence (larger version of a baby jogger) three wheel buggy from Advance Mobility, which we use for rough ground and longer trips as he cannot nap in the wheelchair.

It was a bit of a shock to the system to see him in a wheelchair at first, and more so for DH as I had already come to terms with it) but without it DS would be very restricted.