Steps for Stephanie - Our Christmas Collection

Introducing Stephanie Stewart

As Stephanie’s mum I have decided to start a charity for her called ‘Steps for Stephanie’. The aim of the charity is to raise funds to enable Stephanie to have access to aids that will make her more independent and give her a better quality of life. As a mum I worry about who will care for Stephanie if her parents are not around.

In May 2008 Stephanie collapsed at home and was rushed to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital her heart had stopped beating and she had to be shocked to restart her heart, and suffered a loss of oxygen to the brain (a stroke). Strokes are the major cause of childhood deaths in Britain.

Stephanie was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital where she was put on a ventilator. She was found to have an undetected hole in the heart as well as a condition called Arhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia. This basically means her heart does not beat regularly and will at times stop for short periods. No one quite has the last piece to the jigsaw as to why this happened.

I remember clearly one Sunday morning a consultant telling us that this was as good as we could hope for, and the feeling of blame, grief and despair that washed over us. However as we now know Stephanie is a fighter, and coupled with the excellent care she received she fought back. After many operations including repair of the hole in the heart, tracheotomy and the fitting of an internal cardiac defibrillator Stephanie started to make slow progress.

In late September 2008 Stephanie was moved to the Barbara Russell Unit at Frenchay Hospital for rehabilitation. This is a specialist unit for children with neurological problems and each child has a personalised programme of rehabilitation. Stephanie goes to school in the mornings, followed by Speech and Language Therapy (this has enabled her to learn to swallow again and she can now managed three liquidised meals a day. After that comes Physiotherapy sessions, where Stephanie learns to re-build herself to help with balancing etc.

We are all hoping that she will be discharged in January 2010. We would very much like her to be granted a place at St Rose’s School in Stroud, which has a warm family feeling to it and we believe will be of great benefit to her.

Our first fundraiser is a Quiz Night in Leonard Stanley which has amazingly sold out, and a Barn Dance is planned for June next year hopefully in the Cheltenham area. I am also in training for the Bristol and Stroud Half Marathons.

Louise Cooper

November - Highbury Day Centre

The Day Centre continues to meet at Highbury every Thursday and Friday. We think of it as “our” day centre and are glad to feel that the staff and clients are part of our church family.

We like to collect for them during November so that money raised can be used towards their Christmas festivities and to buy presents for the clients. It is now unfeasible to go out for a meal due to the frailty of most of the people who come to the centre.

In the past transport had been a problem, since volunteer drivers need to be aware of the importance of reminding clients to lock their doors and pick up their handbags, but now the use of a community transport minibus means that clients are collected by a member of staff and driver, offering a much more personal service. The current consistency of staff adds to the stability and continuity for the clients.

Day Centres are rarely used now solely to give elderly people social contact and most of the clientele have dementia and therefore a high level of dependency. Attendance at a Day Centre gives their carers respite as well as offering social support. Clients usually arrive between 9.30 and 10.00am and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. There are various activities during the morning. Lunch is an important opportunity for social interaction as well as a good meal.

During the afternoons there may be games as well as other group activities. A relaxation corner has a fish tank and aromatherapy, and the offer of a manicure. Tea or coffee with biscuits are offered again at 2.30pm and people usually leave between 3.00 and 3.50pm.

As part of our family the Day Centre have enjoyed Harvest celebration. As usual there will be Christmas services whilst the Day Centre is open, and it is lovely for anyone who is free to join with the clients and their carers for these celebrations.

If you would like to offer help to the Day Centre please contact the manager Ruth Pearce on 01242 581713.