With walking comes other privileges

Like Trick or Treating!!

Ashley loved walking down the street bumping into friends from class,  she was very happy to be out and about collecting candy too. 

Here's Ashley with her brothers all very excited to get going this evening.  

By the way we have way too much candy here right now. 

My plea to the premier

Few people have that special touch,  a miraculous skill, that relentless dedication to their profession that make an incredible difference in peoples' lives.  This special lady Bernie who is a paediatric  physiotherapist has all those qualities.   My daughter had the good fortune to start seeing Bernie when she was just a few months old.  She was very fragile and her future was very uncertain.  Ashley needed Bernie's help to gain head control, roll over, use her arms to reach, and bear weight through her legs. I began to learn that she is one of the very best in her field and Ashley was so very lucky to have her on her team.  

Because of this lady, Ashley is now a walker, and even a soccer player.  Ashley has a new level of independence with her walker and every new accomplishment is like a gift. This did not come easy for Ashley but with Bernie's skills and advocating that Ashley received the adequate number if visits to make it happen, Ashley has now received a new level of freedom. You can't image how shocked and saddened I was to learn that Bernie's contract was recently cancelled by 1 to 1 Rehab. We need more physiotherapist like Bernie in the public sector.  

At present CCAC's and Children's Treatment Centre’s in Ontario  look more  at the number of visits and block the child for treatment, rather then focusing on the child's ability to progress and to attain outcomes goals.  There is just not enough funding for physiotherapy to provide the level of therapy to make a difference for the growing number of special needs kids in Ontario. We are lucky in that we can afford to supplement the government therapy with private therapy.  That was also needed to get Ashley where she is today.  Not all families are able to supplement the government therapy with private physiotherapy. 

I wish I knew how to let the provincial government know many more kids need more therapy and that it really pays off in the long run.   Many more skilled physiotherapist need to be hired to meet their  needs.  Kids who can walk and who are not confined to wheelchairs will function better and be happier adults.   They will require less expensive health care and equipment if they can move about independently.

Dalton McGuinty, I know you want to build a brighter future for Ontario.  Please don't forget about my girl.  If it were not for Bernie, Ashley would not be where she is today.  Bernie is someone that you want on your therapy team.   There are many more kids in York region that would have benefitted from her service.  Not all  parents can afford private therapy.   Physiotherapy should not be a luxury for kids who cannot walk, hold up your head, feed yourself or speak. 

Kids here need more therapy and this isn't just a physiotherapy problem, it can be said for occupational and speech unfortunately.   Ashley is enjoying and benefiting greatly from her current block of PT at CTN and but it is only an 8 week block.   Ashley will have to sit out at least 8 weeks before starting again.  Ashley will spend more time out of therapy then in therapy in the next year.   Image if she regresses and doesn't have that opportunity to learn how to walk independently.   Ontario has amazing therapists who are forced  to work privately and many families can't afford this cost.  Please don't let these children down. It's an uphill battle just to be a kid.

You can see what Ashley can learn to do when receiving on-going therapy in her progress videos here, here and here.

A treadmill work out

September passed by in a total blur for me even though three kids where in school full time there was no time to blog.  My  days are filled with phone calls and meetings.   There seems to be something on my calendar each evening too. Ashley's doing fabulously with the new schedule and managed very nicely to give up her naps she is actually sleeping 12 hours each night which leaves her very happy and  giggling each day.  Dropping the nap seems to work really nicely.

Last week  Ashley had back to back OT and PT at CTN.  It was honestly much more then I expected and Ashley loved it.  She was on the treadmill for 15 minutes straight and they kept speeding it up from 0.4 miles an hour to 0.8 miles an hour at the end her feet were moving at a nice pace and she was smiling the entire time.   I take her on a treadmill at home but I never challenged her to move her feet that fast and she would have short breaks at home as my arms would get tired just supporting her.   Mommy needs to get in shape.    I was surprised to see how easily she handled the faster speeds and her heart rate was good the entire time.  

She also crawled up a hill, worked on balance on the trampoline, crawled across a very big bean bag walked along the parallel bars and laterally along the edge of a table. Perhaps a few other things I'm forgetting too.   It was  a great workout  and all this following a session of OT, plus a morning at school too. 

OT was very busy too with targeted drawing, throwing, stacking and locating beads in putty.    I have a feeling  her new OT had more tricks up her sleeve if there was more time as there was a few washroom breaks but it was really great. Ashley has not had  OT since preschool.  I feel this session was long overdue and with guidance and practise I'm sure Ashley's  fine motor skills will improve.  

Ashley is already looking forward to returning CTN this week.