Fundraiser launched to support Sutton boy living with Cerebral Palsy

Giorgio, a three-year-old boy from Wallington, was first diagnosed with Spastic Quad CP when he was around 11 months old.

Despite being heartbroken by the diagnosis his parents were “absolutely determined to do whatever it takes to ensure he has the best chances in life”.

Since then, he has been making great progress thanks to his physical therapies, but his parents cannot afford the cost of continuous physio.

His mum, Hannah Cameron, told Your Local Guardian: “I had really straightforward pregnancy, labour and delivery and everything was normal.

“It was only as he got older that noticed that he wasn't meeting those developmental milestones.

“He used to hold his left hand in quite a tight fist, and he did that from when he was tiny.

“This was the first thing that we noticed, but by that time it was the start of COVID lockdown, and he was around three months old.

“We kept flagging it but weren't able to see anybody kind of in person at that time.”

Hannah, 31, explained that their GP then referred them to a paediatrician at St Helier Hospital, but it was around a 12-month wait before he could be seen, so they decided to look for support privately.

Despite this, the private doctor assumed Giorgio had a tight tendon in his thumb and told the couple not to worry, but Hannah had a gut feeling that it wasn’t correct – so went back to St Helier and pleaded for a sooner appointment.

Hannah said: “She gave us a diagnosis on the spot because she was pretty sure that it was with Spastic Quad Cerebral Palsy and early intervention is really important.

“It was one of those moments you never forget – I remember that feeling like I had been hit by a bus.

“Although we were heartbroken that our little boy would face many struggles with this diagnosis, we were absolutely determined to do whatever it takes to ensure he has the best chances in life.”

Giorgio in physio (Image: Hannah)

Giorgio then started having physio every fortnight on the NHS which Hannah says was hugely beneficial to him.

He did not sit up until well over the age of one and he was not rolling until around age two.

Hannah explained that as Giorgio is growing fast, she felt that he needed more physio to support his development as he was “getting further and further behind should be for his age”.

The family began paying for private sessions for the young boy and these additional measures have been “outstanding” for his progress – but Hannah explained that they are very expensive, and that the family were struggling to pay for them.

She said that a half an hour session of physio privately cost £74, and they had tried also Hydrotherapy which he loved, but it was a £99 each time.

Hannah said: “After getting his diagnosis, I was looking online for like support groups and that kind of thing.

“Then I found a whole community on Instagram of other children that are in very similar in similar situations to Giorgio.

“I was following these Instagram pages that have been set up by parents of children with Cerebral Palsy and it’s been such a fresh breath of knowledge - just seeing what the other children do and the kind of physios or exercises they do at home.

“Even getting tips like things like equipment that you can use for a kind of home physio.

“It's just been amazing to kind of get that knowledge from other families.

“A few of those children have fundraising pages and when I was speaking to one of the mums who recommended doing it through Just4Children who have been amazing.”

Giorgio in hydrotherapy (Image: Hannah)

The fundraiser will run until Giorgio is 18-years-old, supporting him with physio throughout his whole childhood.

Thanks to his therapies, Giorgio can communicate and move more independently, showcasing the vital importance of physical therapy in treating cerebral palsy.

Giorgio's parents are incredibly grateful for the support and continue to raise awareness about the condition.

Hannah added: “He has always been such a happy soul even when he was a tiny little baby.

“He approaches everything with a little smile, gives everything a go, which is really good.

“He is at that stage now where he is into everything and he loves climbing at the moment which is just amazing.”

In addition to the JustGiving page and as a bit of a fundraising boost, Hannah, Mario (Giorgio’s dad) and some other friends and family will be taking on the three peaks challenge on April 29.

Hannah explained: “We just decided to just kind of raise a bit more awareness and just the fundraiser a bit of a push.

“The messages of support have been amazing, and we are really excited to get stuck in.”

Giorgio (Image: Hannah)