Bucketshake this Satdee - Please Read!
By Ballagher
November 1 2012
If you're fortunate enough to have a ticket for the Tigers–Saints match on Saturday, when you see a volunteer brandishing a charity collection bucket, please could you spare a thought (and better still any money you can afford to donate) for Steps.
Living, as we do, in Leicestershire, the choice of which hospital we should use for the birth of our three children was not difficult. The St Mary's Midwifery Unit at Melton Mowbray, as it turned out, would be no good as all three of ours involved C-sections. So we chose the Leicester General. The other option was the Leicester Royal Infirmary and neither Sarah nor I could risk any of children being born with a view out onto Welford Road.
However, two years ago when our youngest daughter Estelle was born, it soon became apparent that she was encountering difficulties and so, the following day, she was moved to the specialist care baby unit at the LRI. Indeed she was one of the first guests at the brand spanking newly refurbished wards. I'm happy to say that the care our children have received at both hospitals has been first class and, to date at least, there is no discernible psychological scarring as a result of being so early in the vicinity of the Tigers.
After the longest three weeks of our lives, Estelle was diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Among other things, the syndrome causes low muscle tone with motor development delays.
Because Estelle has PWS, she receives an enormous amount of support but one of the best is an organisation called the Steps Conductive Education Centre [http://www.stepscentre.org.uk/]. She is the first PWS baby to attend. Many of the other children that are also fortunate to have a place have cerebral palsy, down syndrome or spina bifida. Conductive education was developed in Hungary and is based on the pioneering work of Dr Peto; the Institute in Budapest now bears his name.
I've heard Rosemary Conley (Steps' patron) say that of all the charities she has an involvement with, this is the one (modesty on her part - I know she also does some great things for the Matt Hampson Trust) that she is passionate about.
The work done at Steps is truly remarkable. We're fortunate that it is based just up the road from us in Shepshed but some people travel far to benefit from the wonderful services it offers. Steps was featured in last November's Children in Need programme. And yet, due to financial pressures, it desperately needs further funding to be able to continue the good work.
So, as I said at the start of this article, if you see someone with a collecting bucket on Saturday, please say hello (as it might be me or my wife Sarah that you are greeting – Estelle will be there too) and if can make a donation, all the better.
Thank you.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
----------------------------------------
Please sponsor me for Saints with Heart [www.justgiving.com]
Thank you.
Quote:ballagher
Thank you to all those that gave generous contributions to Steps today. Very much appreciated. I'll post the final total on here when I know what it is.
Thank you.
And the totals are in ...
Steps would like to thank everyone who helped and donated. The grand total (including an on-line donation from Saintsby - thanks Bob) is £1,985.22
Thank you very very much.
Congrats to all concerned.
