Page 18 - link magazine

Family News

Snowdon climb for 7 year old with incredibly rare brain disease
preschool Twenty three members of Swindon said: “Club skipper George Cowley

gymnastics St. George rugby league club asked if they could help raise funds
for Ted. I went with the team to
yomped up Mount Snowdon on 12
and 13 March in aid of Ted Groves
Snowdon; they all did an amazing
who suffers from an extremely rare job.
where an early neurological condition. “The money raised will fund
Ted, who lives with his family in
start makes a world Peatmoor, is one of only 100 people valuable equipment and adaptions.”
Sven added Ted is being put
of difference! worldwide and just 6 in Britain forward for pioneering gene therapy
suffering from aromatic L-amino at a cost of £1 million per child via
decarboxylase deficiency (AADC for Ted Groves, the face of Great Ormond Street Hospital. This
short). www.aadcresearch.org year also celebrates 10 years of the
Ted is unable to sit, stand or walk His dad Sven, who used to play AADC Research Trust, of which Ted
and relies completely on his family for St George’s but had to retire to is the poster boy. You can help Ted
and carers 24 hours of the day. commit more time to Ted’s care, at www.gofundme.com/TedsSmile

Play space relaunched
Youngsters in Freshbrook can enjoy
new equipment at The Meads play
area, thanks to Swindon Council’s
improvement programme.
This is the third refurbishment of
the play space between Turnham
Green and Worsley Road since it
was first built in the early 1980s.
The Fort, as it was known, was an
impressive exciting structure, but
a nightmare for parents as the
daily classes for the under 5’s
railway sleepers it was built from
01793 822262 oozed tar onto clothing.
As the archive picture shows,
www.esprit-gymnastics.co.uk by today’s standards it was also a
health and safety horror.
April: Autism
Information and advice for parents from ePIP

Born in the US in 1933, Donald was for learning difficulties and does
a profoundly withdrawn child who not result from bad behaviour
never met his mother’s smile and and naughtiness. More boys are
seemed tuned into a separate world. diagnosed with the condition
He could speak and mimic words, than girls, but there is no clear
but most often he merely echoed explanation for this.
what he had heard someone else Although autism is hard to
say. Donald had autism. In fact, diagnose before 24 months,
Donald was the first ever person symptoms often surface between
to be diagnosed with the 12 and 18 months. As a
condition. parent of a child going
World Autism
What is autism? It is a through the referral
lifelong developmental Awareness Week and diagnosis pathway,
2 to 8 April
condition that Find out how to get it can be a challenging
affects how a person time, but for many
involved at
perceives the world www.autism.org.uk families having an
and interacts with explanation for the
others. It is genetically difficulties their child has
linked and tends to run in been experiencing can also
families. It is estimated that about bring a sense of relief.
1 in every 100 people in the UK has Now aged 82, Donald Grey Triplett
autism and although the condition continues to live a fulfilling life,
is different for everyone, people on driving his Cadillac and playing golf
the autism spectrum may: daily, showing that the condition
be under or oversensitive to doesn’t have to define the person.
sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light
or colours About ePiP
find social situations and change ePiP Direct provides expert 1-to-
a challenge 1 parent coaching, supporting
experience a ‘meltdown’ if families with a wide range of
overwhelmed by anxiety parenting issues and challenges.
benefit from extra time to process They can be contacted directly
and respond to communication on 01793 328102 or:
Autism is not simply another term www.epipdirect.com
18 swindonlink.com n April 2016