Our Families

Team Holgate

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My Name is Madison and I am a 12 year old girl living in Brisbane, Australia. When I was born I was quite small, I weighed only 680 grams, which meant I got to spend my first 4 months in the intensive care unit in hospital. Just after my 1st birthday I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and have been working really hard ever since to do as much for myself as I can. Today I am really enjoying going to school and learning lots with all the other kids but mum and dad say that if I hadn't started having therapy when I was only 14 months old things would be a lot different.

When I was diagnosed with CP the doctors didn’t expect me to be able to talk or do very much at all, but I showed them! With a lot of help from a lot of very special, very talented and very caring people who are just as determined as I am, I am now able to go to a really good school just like all the other kids. We have a special education unit where I can go if I need some help and support. There are some really smart teachers who know all different ways to help me learn so I can spend most of my time in class with my teacher and all my friends. I am getting ready to go off to High School next year, which is a little scary but I’m looking forward to it.

At the moment I have to get around in a wheelchair but I would really, really like to be able to walk by myself one day. Last year I had an operation on my hips so that I am now able to stand up straighter and walk correctly for the first time. I have a walking frame that I was able to buy a couple of years ago from the money we raised at Riverwalk, I have been practising my walking every day and I am getting better all the time.

I have to work really hard to build up my strength so I have physio once a month and go to gym every Saturday morning. The one thing that I enjoy doing most of all is my horse riding which I do every Thursday with Riding for the Disabled. I have been doing horse riding for the past 4 years and when I started I couldn’t sit on the horse properly or even balance very well (which I’m still working on). Now I can finally sit and ride the horse all by myself with someone walking beside me on both sides just in case I fall off. This is the best feeling and I am so proud.

Unfortunately all this costs a lot of money but the harder I work now the more I will be able to do when I am older. I have to wear special orthotic boots which I’m not too fond of but they’re important to get my feet growing in the right way and as my feet get bigger they cost more and more.

I also love to go swimming, we now have a pool that I spend every minute I can in the water. I am not scared of going under the water as much now. I love to get in and kick and splash around with my dad and sister. One day I hope to be able to get in the pool and swim by myself. I love to go riding on my bike that our friend and my dad built for me. I have races with my sister and I mostly win because dad helps me go really fast. I have grown so much that I now have to get a new bike. I am hoping to raise enough money at the Riverwalk to be able to get a new bike as these are really expensive.

As I grow I’m obviously getting heavier so I am going to need some more equipment to help. I have to get a new electric chair very soon. It’s also getting harder for mum to move me when dad’s at work. We don’t have a car that allows me to ride in my chair so mum gets me in and out. I’m trying to learn to do transfers from my chair to bed, car etc but I’m just not there yet so we may have to look at some sort of equipment to help.

There have been a lot of really special people that have helped me achieve what I have today but I have so many dreams I want to achieve. That is to walk, swim by myself, ride my bike and become as independent as I can. You can help me to reach my dreams by:

•Donating

•Sending this page to your family and friends asking them to donate

•Helping my family with respite, chores or day to day tasks

For more information on helping or if you have a question for my family please email maddierh@optusnet.com.au