The parents of a little girl who is receiving “life-changing” physio treatment for her cerebral palsy say they have been blown away after students at Derbyshire science company Lubrizol raised more than £3,500 so she can keep benefiting from it.
Leicester’s Bethony and Greg James, parents of three-year-old Lola, say they feel highly emotional at the response from generous friends and strangers after three students at Derbyshire-based Lubrizol – where Greg works as a photographer and videographer – took on a half marathon to help raise money for the little girl.
Students Nathan Sawyer, Faith Battersby and Beth Sims completed the Derby Ramathon this year to raise funds for intensive private physio treatment for Lola. Having set an initial target of £1,000, the caring trio – who have never met the little girl – raised more than £3,500 including a generous donation from their employers at Lubrizol.
After the story was featured in many local newspapers members of the public were so moved by Lola’s story and the fundraising drive that they made generous donations to help fund her care.
Lola was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy just before her first birthday and her parents are trying to fund as much intensive physiotherapy treatment as they can before she reaches the age of five, as studies show it is most effective in a child’s formative early years.
Lola’s cerebral palsy has meant that while she has full cognitive understanding of the world she is not able to sit independently, crawl, stand or walk.
But her parents have said the intensive physio sessions she has been receiving have already made a huge difference to the little girl who has shown great determination to get as strong as she can.
Lola is having different types of private physio that are not available on the NHS, with one round of intensive sessions costing around £1,000 a week.
Mum Bethony said: “She’s making massive improvements in her ability to move and walk. Her condition essentially makes her very stiff so the intensive physio is aimed at reducing that stiffness and increasing her core and leg strength so she can achieve more function. She can now sit upright for number of minutes at a time and we’re working on her being able to stand.
“As her parents we have noticed such a big change in what she can do because of the physio. It has made a massive difference to her comfort levels too – she sleeps much better, for example. It’s about her quality of life as much as it is reaching milestones.
“The treatment really has been life-changing. The fundraising and the donation from Lubrizol has just completely blown us away. It gives us such security in knowing that we can afford this therapy. It’s hard to put into words but it makes us feel quite emotional. We don’t know some of the people who have donated to us – it restores our faith in humanity that this huge amount of money has been raised. Everybody is struggling financially too. This money really does make a big difference to Lola’s health and happiness.
“We’re just incredibly grateful to everybody who read her story and felt a connection to her. We really can’t thank them enough.”
Nathan Sawyer, creative assistant at Lubrizol, said: “It was a pleasure for myself and colleagues to raise money to help Lola receive this physio treatment she really needs. The run was hard but it’s very satisfying to know it has raised such a lot of money to help a little girl who really needs it. It’s great to work at a company like Lubrizol which offers so much support to great causes including this one.” Anyone who would still like to support Lola can do so here: www.justgiving.com/team/lola
