He's just beaming

Zack has yet again managed to have a busier social life than myself. 


Wednesday morning meant an early get up for a spot of light Hydrotherapy. The sessions have been introduced by the wonderful ladies in the vision team (you know the ones that also run the play group for children with visual impairments.) Honestly they go beyond what they are meant to be doing and if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have these much valued groups.


The hydrotherapy session was taking place at a special needs school in Warrington. They have a small pool there which children can use to get some extra therapy in very warm water. By the way it isn't just the water that's warm the whole blinking place is set to tropical heat weather. 


Zack and I arrived all bundled up having faced the windy, rainy weather outside to get changed in a changing room that was so hot I thought I was going to explode. One of the teachers took him to the pool and at first they laid him on a floaty mat. I knew he wouldn't like that as Zack likes to be upright in the water so he feels safe and secure. Sure enough grabby hands appeared, I suggested we put him in his swimming seat ring. Just a normal baby swim seat but Zack loves it. Once he was sat in his throne he could have quite happily floated around the pool for hours. Unfortunately a child can only stay in for twenty minutes due to the heat so having enjoyed his relaxing water therapy out we got, dressed and thrust once more into the great british autumn weather.  For once I was glad of the cold, Zack and I looked like beacons in that school.


This week Zack got fitted for some Piedro boots. These are to boots made to help support his ankles and feet when in his standing frame. Amazingly they also arrived this week so having been measured, fitted and tried on we are now the proud owner of some funky little shoes. Picture below.

On a secondary note to our visit for the shoe fitting. We had to go to the hospital for these appointments and normally it is an absolute bugger to find a parking spot. Well hold on, Zack now has his own special blue badge, therefore, when his chauffeur is driving (that's me), we can park in a disabled parking spot. Hallelujah. First appointment we parked right outside the door, second appointment, again, right outside the door. Wow, this badge thingy makes life really simple.




And to finish the week off on Saturday we took Zack to the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust It's a charity that specialises in providing donkey riding therapy for children with disabilities. They have a few centres across the UK and one in Manchester, which is where we found ourselves on Saturday morning. 


Dan took Zack in to the arena to meet his new friend, whose name I can't quite remember. Zack was the smallest child, youngest child and had the smallest donkey. At first his little legs couldn't fit over the saddle so he rode bare back, check out cowboy Zack.  The staff also gave him a supportive vest to wear to steady his posture, Zack that is not the Donkey, I mean it's not like the Pants is a hefty weight. 


I have never seen a child look so bewildered, he knew something was going on but he couldn't figure it out. Part way through the little session they took the vest off and he seemed to relax more. He had to ride his donkey around the arena and collect different colour rings then place the rings on a pole.


Then they ran a little with the donkeys. Zack loved this, his face lit up and even the teacher who was with him was saying, look at him, he's just beaming. He did nearly end up on the donkeys neck though but she didn't seem to mind. After it had all finished the lady leading the donkey said it was an excellent first ride, he had done brilliantly. 


What a fantastic charity, you can see how much all the children that take part gain from it and to think it's only down the road from us, we shall definitely go back again. But Zack nor his daddy will not be having a donkey of their own. No way, no donkeys in my back garden. They don't half make a noise.