We were posting that Sunsuper Dreams link everywhere! We set up a twitter account, smashed facebook and even made it to the local news and newspaper!
We won that dream. We won $5000. That was an amazing sentence to write,
so I'm going to write it again... We won $5000!
(Thanks to every one of the 4000 odd people who voted on-line for Dexter! xx)
We were hoping to buy Dexter a walker with the money.
Because we were spreading Dexter's story everywhere (and then a little further!),
a lot of people learned about Dexter. A lot of people learned that we wanted to buy him a walker to help him learn to walk...
And then, we were contacted by a stranger...
A beautiful, kind-hearted and generous man...
A man who saw Dexter and reached for his wallet...
A man who heard Dexter's story and, within 30 minutes,
had paid for a mobility walker for Dexter!
We didn't know what to say... We spent moments smiling and jumping with happiness and moments sitting and shaking our heads at the incredibility of it!
So, we had about a week to go in the competition to win the $5000, and we were given the walker... Now, we dreamed we could get a new standing frame for Dexter.
We'd applied for both a walker and a new standing frame, under funding grants, and had been rejected on both accounts... apparently, Dexter wasn't capable of using the walker!
(We'll show them!)
Now, about 18 month later, Dexter was still using the same, old standing frame. He is far too tall for the frame now, and has hurt himself using it a few times. It was set to the lowest place, but he was still too tall. It was becoming dangerous because Dexter could rock it and was stepping out of the back, and yet, there was no news on receiving another one to replace the old one... | The standing frame Dexter is currently using is dangerous now. Dexter got it when he was just over a year old. He was supposed to have it for a month or so, when it would then be replaced. No one really explained the benefits of using the frame, and Dexter was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for his hepatoblastoma (liver cancer), so he wasn't always strong enough to use it anyway. |
For the last month or so, Dexter has needed to stand in the old frame, with the frame backed up against the back of the lounge chairs. This is the only way we could get him to stop stepping out of the back of the frame or throwing his head back. Because of his cerebral palsy, when he threw his head back, he didn't have the strength to straighten up again and would cry out in pain. We were afraid he would topple the frame over, and really hurt himself.
And so, winning $5000 and having already been given a walker, there was no question... we were going to buy a new standing frame.
The company representative and Dexter's amazing private physiotherapist, Zoe, turned up, to test a few different models. Strangely enough, Dexter fell asleep in all of the standing frames he tested!
We chose one and ordered it... and the wait began.
But, today... the brand new Leckey standing frame arrived!! We're so excited!
The walker came from the Leckey company, so that's what we call it. And, Leckey has already made Dexter laugh and smile and reach for things...
Dexter's Mum is in love! She was washing the dishes and could hear the rattling of toys and the scratching of fingers on the table top. She found the frame's bowl lifted from the frame tray and thrown on the floor, and she heard chuckling.
She heard Dexter learning to play!
and the local Lions Clubs (Kiama Lions Club and Minnamurra Lions Club)
added the $1200, to cover the total cost of the standing frame.
Thank you! So much!