Paul and Michael describe how sensory equipment helps sons
“The twins need help with their all their basic care, such as brushing their teeth, feeding and managing their many medications. Both boys are very mobile, but have no sense of danger, which means they require our constant supervision. They are both prone to focal and tonic seizures which start in a limited area on one side of the brain and then spread to both sides.
Variety came into our lives when the boys first went on a Sunshine Coach at their previous school. We discovered the charity did so much more, however, so in 2017, we applied for multi-sensory equipment.
Thanks to Variety’s intervention, all the equipment has helped greatly with their development, and the boys love it and still use it to this day! The bubble tubes, lights and sensory items create a tranquil space, which helps to calm the boys after a seizure or meltdown.
Things that weren’t possible for the boys are proving to be possible now. Both boys have developed fine motor skills and the art of taking turns. They can interact and play with equipment that is designed to meet their needs, they have learned new social skills and they know where they can go when they need to be calm.
Epilepsy has controlled the boys’ lives for far too long. Our dream as a family is to continue to develop their independence, while our hope is that their epilepsy will improve over time.
We’d like to again thank Variety for providing life-changing equipment for Levi and Lucas. This type of specialist equipment is often out of reach as it can cost many thousands of pounds. Children like Levi and Lucas really benefit from having access to specialist equipment like this in a home environment.
If we could finish with one sentence it would be this: We wouldn’t change the boys for the world, but we would change the world for children like the boys!”