Tilly’s Story

Matilda came into this world under difficult circumstances; she was delivered not breathing and required resuscitation, soon after suffering numerous seizures.  She spent her first two weeks of life at the Mater Mothers hospital hooked up to monitors and it was then the doctors made the grim discovery Tilly had experienced an hypoxic (lack of oxygen) episode during the labour process.  Although Matilda has not had the best of starts, she has shown us her strength of character, that she is up for the challenge and we feel the name Matilda is perfect for her.   The  name Matilda means: Strength for battle, Strong in war. 

At 8 months of age Tilly was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. We noticed early on that Matilda wasn’t meeting her milestones but just thought she would be ok. However once reality set in and we started reading up and educating ourselves on Cerebral Palsy, we realised that there was a long road ahead of us and, more importantly, for Matilda.

It’s impossible to remember exactly what I thought of cerebral palsy before I had Matilda. I’m pretty sure I didn’t even really know what it actually was.  I had no idea it could be mild, moderate or severe and I certainly had no idea of the complications it could bring.

Matilda’s Cerebral Palsy at present means the simple things that we take for granted are a struggle for Tilly, like sitting, crawling, walking, talking and using her hands.  However with early intervention and specialised care, outcomes for the future can be enhanced.

As you can see from the pictures, Matilda is a dear little girl with a vibrant personality.  Her smile warms our hearts, her laugh is infectious and the love that she brings to those around her is just beautiful.

Nice Hair Till

2011

Thus far Tilly has been a pretty busy 3 year old,  she now has a great set up at home with her equipment, she attends Xavier’s  Conductive Education two day’s a week in Brisbane.  She loves going to school and working on her body and playing with her friends.  Matilda is also seeing her Physiotherapist’s, Occupational Therapist and Speech Therapist’s on a regular basis along with Laser Acupuncture  &  Chiropracitc work.

This year Tilly also become a big sister to her new baby brother Rudy.  She is loving having a baby brother around and just wants to be around him.  She giggles when he coos and loves touching him, which is a delight to see.

We have seen some great progress in Tilly’s abilities and I believe it has to do with all the therapies, and equipment she uses in her day to day activities.  This progress would not be possible without all the help we get from friends, family and our local community from their fundraising efforts and support, so thank you again and again.

2010