Get Willow Walking

Please help us raise £10,000 to get Willow walking.

Willow has Cerebral Palsy, a condition that prevents her limbs from working effectively. Her core and legs cannot support her body, and she currently uses a wheelchair. However, she dreams of following in her twin sister's footsteps and learning to walk.

Over the six years since her birth, Willow has undergone various therapies, but the most effective treatment by far was at Swimlab International, a specialist facility in Lanzarote. Unfortunately, the physiotherapy and occupational therapy available to Willow on the NHS are very limited and infrequent, meaning she has reached only a few developmental milestones.

After saving for two years, we were finally able to spend a week at Swimlab International. Although it was expensive, it was worth every penny, as for the very first time, Willow was able to move all four of her limbs independently.

This treatment is highly concentrated, specialized, and unavailable in the UK. As such, we are working with the Tree of Hope charity to raise funds to send Willow back to Swimlab.

At Swimlab International, the water supports Willow’s body, giving her a freedom of movement she doesn’t have on land. Their unique combination of aquatic and land-based therapies helps children with neurological and developmental disorders reach their full potential.

With further treatment, Willow is unlikely to regain full use of her limbs, but her chances of achieving greater movement and control will significantly improve. Repetition of movement can retrain her brain to bypass damaged areas and form new connections, improving her overall motor function.

In addition, Willow has been offered a place for a three-week intensive therapy program at the NAPA Center in London. This program includes daily sessions of one hour of physiotherapy, one hour of occupational therapy, and one hour of Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI).

We are particularly excited about Willow trying DMI, which has shown remarkable results for children worldwide in achieving developmental milestones. This approach focuses on provoking and improving movement through alignment, sensory integration, and functional skills.

The combined therapies at Swimlab International and the NAPA Center are designed specifically for Willow’s abilities and motivations. Raising £10,000 will allow her to attend both facilities. If we exceed our target, any additional funds will go towards local horse riding lessons with Riding for the Disabled.

You can make a huge difference to this little girl’s quality of life and her future independence as an adult. Your donations will enable Willow to access life-changing therapy at world-renowned specialist facilities.

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects. If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.