Jasper, 4, was fit and well before contracting Hand, Foot & Mouth disease at a party in November 2015. A rare complication saw this go to his heart and he was admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital with dilated cardiomyopathy – an enlarged heart. He was put on life support but when the doctors brought him round, Jasper couldn’t move his legs: a blood clot had damaged his lower spinal cord and he was paralysed from the waist down.
He was transferred to Stanmore and Stoke Mandeville spinal care hospitals and was discharged in March 2016. During her research to find the best rehab and treatment for Jasper, his mother Kate came across a professor who was doing research into spinal cord injury in rats. “We corresponded and he was very sympathetic before saying that if Jasper was his child, he’d go straight to the NeuroRecovery Network facility in Louisville. We made enquiries and then flew to the US in May 2015. The rehab was intense but the team there felt confident they can help.”
When Neurokinex in Crawley was chosen by the Neuro Recovery Network as its first – and so far only – affiliate outside of the US, Kate brought Jasper back to the UK. The family lives within easy reach of Neurokinex and Kate is relieved that Jasper can now access this amazing treatment much closer to home.
“We were delighted to find that NRN treatments are now available at Neurokinex. It’s a great opportunity for Jasper and he is making really good progress with the team there.”
