Alex’s EarlyJourney

Alex developed pneumococcal meningitis following a normal and healthy birth at just six months old. His parents, Jane and Darrel, said: “Alex was on the High Dependency Unit for three days, and at the time, we didn’t know if he would make it”.

Months later, Alex started to have seizures, and after further tests, doctors confirmed that he was deaf in one ear and that his right arm and leg were weak.

Jane said, “The doctors confirmed that Alex has Cerebral Palsy, and although he has right-sided brain damage, we still don’t know how much brain damage he has.”

“We noticed that he missed all his milestones, such as sitting up, crawling, and walking, but he finally learned to roll at 18 months. We had heard of Paces and the Conductive Education approach and wanted to know if this would benefit Alex. The Conductor told us what a child with Cerebral Palsy was like, and it was like they were describing our son to a tee. We instantly knew that this was the place for Alex as they had the knowledge and expertise to support him.”

Darrel said, “We never knew if Alex would walk, but thanks to the team at Paces, our son now walks aided with sticks which are just incredible! He challenges himself to do 1000 steps each day! We are so proud of him.”

“Paces is a way of life, and we got to know many of the other parents, which was great because we could support one another. The staff also taught Alex toilet training, feeding and learning to dress, and being more independent.”

Alex, now age 25, left Paces School at age 19 and currently attends our Adult Day Service. He’s a massive fan of Sheffield Steelers, attends his local Scouts group and loves DJ’ing!

When Alex heard about our ‘New Home for Paces’ appeal, he wanted to help and has recently sponsored the Wentworth Class to give back and help support the lives of the families at Paces School. Thank you so much for your support, Alex. We think you’re amazing!

Read more by using the button below to learn how Alex’s journey developed as he got older.