The birth of twin boys should have been the happiest day in the lives of India and Mark. But eight hours after his birth, first born Ralph became lifeless and had to be resuscitated.
Bruises covered his head and most of his body. He was put on a ventilator and into an induced coma. What caused the episode is still unknown, but Ralph suffered a rare spinal stroke which left him with brain damage and paralysed from the waist down.
“The first few weeks were bleak, empty, and full of fear. He was completely twisted with his feet up by his ears. He couldn’t keep his legs down and we were told he would never move, never walk, never be independent,” said India from Petersfield, Hampshire.
But the opening of a specialist spinal injury rehabilitation centre for kids, Neurokinex, in Crawley, marked the start of a new beginning for Ralph and his family and a new belief that the impossible is possible.
“Ralph was the youngest in the world to have 80 intensive sessions of locomotive training and within two weeks he was crawling,” said India. “He gained so much core abdominal strength which meant he could balance and sit up. By stimulating the spinal cord and keeping the neural pathways open we have seen progression after progression.
“We were told he would always be incontinent, but he is now going to school without a nappy. We were told he would never be able to stand but he now sofa surfs and can take assisted steps with a frame even though keeping his feet stepping forwards with completely dislocated hips is a huge challenge.”
“But, there is real hope. The story of who Ralph is now is not who he was supposed to be according to doctors at the beginning of his life. And we do believe that breakthrough therapies and treatments will come on stream that will not only benefit Ralph but help change the care and treatment landscape for spinal cord injuries across the UK."
Ralph and his twin Wilbur, who turned 8 recently, are typical brothers and have a special bond that has really spurred Ralph to try new things. The brothers play wheelchair basketball together and, after India trained as a sit-ski pilot, they also ski together on family holidays.
It has been a hugely tough journey, mentally and emotionally, for the whole family but they remain resolutely positive that spinal cords can recover and hopeful that scientific and technological breakthroughs will deliver life-changing function restoration.
India added: “It has been so hard for Ralph, and at times he has really struggled mentally, but he is incredibly resilient and positive and believes he will walk one day. “To be honest, walking would be the last thing on our wish list. There are so many other things that a spinal cord injury steals that would give Ralph more quality of life, like having full bowel and bladder control and not having dislocated hips.
“But, there is real hope. The story of who Ralph is now is not who he was supposed to be according to doctors at the beginning of his life. And we do believe that breakthrough therapies and treatments will come on stream that will not only benefit Ralph but help change the care and treatment landscape for spinal cord injuries across the UK.”
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