Rediscovering joy, one step at a time.
“All I could think of was that for a child obsessed with dancing, it would be a nightmare to be trapped in a body that couldn’t move,” Hailey’s mum, Aimee, recalling her daughter’s devastating outlook.
Your tax-deductible gift will fund the life-changing work of Kids Rehab WA at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH), helping rebuild young lives impacted by illness, injury and disability.
“Kids that need rehab are not going to just be magically fixed. It takes time, it takes work and all of that takes money,” said Aimee. "They need every dollar they can get because it's not a simple fix."
Hailey's story.
In a split second, everything changed. A pot of boiling water was accidentally knocked over onto the unsuspecting toddler, causing mostly third-degree burns – the worst possible – to
Tests revealed she was already suffering from serious viral infections, while later scans revealed damage to the area of the brain that controls movement. She’d lost mobility, her lungs seized up and at one devastating point, it looked like her parents might have to let her go. But they held on to hope and little by little Hailey began to fight back.
After a tracheotomy to help her breathe, skin graft surgeries and laser treatment for her burns, Hailey’s ravaged little body began to heal. Within a month she was talking, singing and eating again.
But lying in a hospital bed for weeks on end took its toll. With agonising burns to a large part of her body – her forehead, face, right arm, torso and leg – Hailey’s muscles were wasting away, and she lost basic movement.
Thanks to the support and care of Kids Rehab WA, Hailey regained her strength and normal childhood experiences.
You can help more children like Hailey receive the transformative care of Kids Rehab WA by making a tax-deductible gift of
A child’s first steps are a major milestone celebrated by parents the world over. But for Hailey, everything she’d accomplished – sitting, standing, walking – had to be learnt all over again.
A team of Kids Rehab therapists including physios, occupational and speech therapists and specialists in orthotics swung into action helping Hailey take small steps to regain daily function.
The journey was challenging but Hailey’s resilience and spirit shone through.
At an age when other little girls were dressing up as fairies and ballerinas, Hailey bravely adapted to life wearing around the clock compression garments to control her scarring.
Instead of visiting playgrounds and parks, she worked on regaining her strength with the help of play-based physiotherapy exercises, specialised rehabilitation equipment and Botox injection treatment. The support was profoundly life-changing – Hailey went from sitting, to standing, to taking her first steps.
While her burn injuries have healed, Hailey will still need further surgeries when she’s older. But for now, she’s enjoying life at five – going to school, dressing up and playing with friends and her brother and two sisters.
Your gift today will make a difference to the lives of WA children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury and neurodevelopmental disorders. You can help children like Hailey, who’s now not only walking with an aid, but also back dancing with joy. Donate today.
Together we're helping children get back to enjoying their childhood, one life-changing step at a time.
With your support, we’re funding transformative care at Kids Rehab WA, helping children across the state live life to the fullest.
Kids Rehab WA
The Kids Rehab WA program delivers life-changing support to extremely vulnerable children with complex disability who can’t access funding through other means. In WA, approximately 1,600 children and adolescents are living with a wide range of conditions and disabilities including children with acquired or congenital brain and spinal cord injuries, complex neurodevelopmental disorders, limb differences, neuromuscular conditions and cerebral palsy.
Every day can be a challenge for these children and their families, and the specialised support of the Kids Rehab WA program optimises growth and development in children and improves quality of life.
Learn more about Kids Rehab WA
CONNECT-CP
Children in regional and remote areas of WA now have access to the benefits of early cerebral palsy (CP) identification and intervention. Perth Children’s Hospital’s (PCH) world-leading early intervention service at Kids Rehab WA, which can diagnose children as early of three months of age, is expanding across the state under the CONNECT-CP program.
Previously children were not diagnosed until closer to two years of age, which misses key windows to take advantage of neuroplasticity, when the brain has the opportunity to rewire itself to improve movement and function. Scaling up local workforces to deliver best practice, culturally appropriate early assessments and referrals will help reduce the impact of disability and improve quality of life for many vulnerable children and families across the state.
Learn more about CONNECT-CP
ZeroG 3D
The ZeroG robotic gait and balance training system will be life-changing for WA children who have not yet acquired or lost basic physical functions due to illness, injury or disability. The advanced robotic bodyweight support system helps children learn and practice basic physical functions such as walking, balancing and climbing stairs.
PCH is the first children’s hospital in Australia to empower and transform young lives with this transformative technology that improves recovery, makes rehabilitation safer and more engaging, and reduces long-term disability.
Learn more about ZeroG 3D
