CASE STUDY

Bethany is seven years old and is fast growing into a confident young girl wanting more of her own independence.

However, when Bethany was just 13 months old, she unfortunately suffered a stroke. This developed into a brain aneurysm, which meant she had to undergo surgery in order to stem the bleed. As a result, Bethany has left-side hemiplegia – a form of cerebral palsy that causes a weakness down her left side.

This was understandably a very difficult time for Bethany and her family. “It was like our whole world turned upside down,” Bethany’s mum, Alice, explains. “It’s something that no parent should ever have to go through.”

Bethany has worked on her independence throughout the years with the support of her family and services such as the Stroke Association. “Bethany undertakes physio and goes to occupational therapy regularly, and she attends all of her medical appointments with so much courage and enthusiasm,” says Alice. However, Bethany can still struggle with certain tasks due to having restricted use of her left hand.

Recently, Bethany’s parents bought her a new cabin bed as she was outgrowing her previous one. Unfortunately, they soon discovered that she was struggling to come down the steps safely on her own. “Bethany really struggled using her new bed independently and was very nervous. The steps were far too vertical and steep for her,” Alice explains. As a result, Bethany’s nights were disrupted and her parents were anxious about her injuring herself if she tried getting down on her own.

When Bethany’s occupational therapist was unsure how to provide further help with this, they recommended Bethany and her family reach out to REMAP – a charity that connects people living with a disability with local engineers to see if a piece of specialist equipment or a home adaptation can simplify their life.