Cerebral palsy: Help Chloe take her first steps

Chloe Allcock needs the community’s help to take her first steps.

The 15-year-old was born with the neurological disorder cerebral palsy and has been confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. But that could all change very soon.

“When Chloe was five years old, her doctor said there was nothing more they could do for her [in terms of mobility],” said Marlene Allcock, Chloe’s mom.

“But in March we took her to the University Hospital in Heidelberg [in Germany], and the doctors there said that surgery could make her more mobile and that she would be able to walk with a walking aid in a few month’s time.”

Chloe will need to undergo two surgeries, the first would be on her right side and would focus on fixing her knee, shortening her calf muscles and addressing problems with her ankle and foot. Then she would need to undergo six weeks of rehabilitation before the left side was operated on and also rehabilitated.

The challenge that the Allcock family now faces is financing this treatment. The medical costs alone will be €90 000 (about R1,4 million), and money is still needed to cover the travel costs for Chloe and Marlene to get to Germany, as well as accommodation and living expenses for Marlene during the three and a half to four months of treatment time.

“Technically, we could get the surgery here in South Africa,” explained Graeme Allcock, Chloe’s father. “But instead of taking four months, it would take about two and a half years in total, and the doctors have recommended that we do it overseas because the treatment [in Germany is very different].”

To cover everything, the Allcock family needs to raise about R1,8 million in total before 22 June. The first surgery is scheduled for 23 July, and as they are foreign patients, full payment needs to be made before the final booking can be confirmed. The family has organised a fundraising dinner but will still need help from their community.

“Being able to walk would mean the world to me,” Chloe told the Fourways Review. “There are certain challenges to being in a wheelchair – it affects my blood circulation and my organs, and means I can’t participate in things like sports.

“One day I want to open my own school for children with learning and physical disabilities. There are simple things that we can do to improve the lives of those with disabilities, and in my school, I want to make it so children can play sports.”

If you would like to make a donation, Chloe’s bank account details are:

C Allcock

Bank: FNB

Branch: Cresta

Savings Account

Account Number: 62732783916

Auditors: Bernard Herbert

Herbert and Liebisch Incorporated

+27 11 894 4400

Or you can donate on her Go Fund Me page: www.gofundmesa.co.za

For more details or to offer your support personally, you can contact Marlene Allcock on Facebook or via email mallcock@doorite.co.za

Also check out:

‘I am not defined by my condition’

#ICYMI: There’s a special needs school on your doorstep