Welcome to Cassie's Wishing Well
Hello my name is Cassie Jeffers and i am seven years young and I live in Chelmsford, Essex with my mummy and daddy.
I was born with a rare brain condition called ponta cerebellar hypoplasia 2 which stopped my brain from developing properly when i was in my mummy's tummy. The doctors told mummy and daddy that it was unlikely that i would be able to do much in my life because my brain was very small, but mummy and daddy have helped me to achieve so much.
Mummy helps me with my exercises everyday. My programme was specially written for me by the kind physiotherapists at "Brainwave". They have helped me with my eyesight and basic movement.
In 2008 i attended a two week intensive sight and sound therapy programme. This has helped me cope with loud noises and i can now make a few different sounds which helps me communicate.
Mummy and daddy have spent lots of time and money taking me for lots of special treatments, some have been more successful than others. I still can't talk or walk, but i understand everything that goes on around me and have learnt ways to make myself understood. I make choices from what i would like in my sandwiches to which of my pyjamas i want to wear at bedtime.
I now go to a special school called Southview school and i love being around my friends, we learn so much . The teachers at the school are excellent in bringing out the best in us . Going to school everyday gives me self belief that I will get better and better and achieve so much
In 2008 mummy and daddy found a special place in Slovakia called Adeli that could help me get stronger and hopefully learn to walk, i was very excited when they told me about it. They have helped lots and lots of children just like me by using special suits that help develop muscles. Mummy and daddy had to send them x-rays of my legs to see if I was strong enough, and they said I was a good candidate for their treatment and we went for my first session in October 2008.
I have been back now to Slovakia over 9 times now since my first session . I go for 2 weeks at a time and exercise every day, sometimes in the summer I go for 3 weeks , but that can be really tiring . I can see that all my hard work is paying off , as I am getting much stronger and healthier and am able to do much more for myself now.
I will probably have to go back to Slovakia for four sessions a year until I am well into my teens. It is very expensive and costs about seven thousand pounds a month. I don't know how much that is but mummy says it's a lot of chocolate. Daddy is working very hard trying to earn extra money to pay for me to go, and mummy has tried to stop shopping and is putting her pennies in a jar instead.
Please make a donation, however small .... .... every few pounds you give will help me do more and more.
I am really looking forward to going on my next trip. I hope it makes me stronger so I can play with my friends. Mummy will keep you up to date with my progress on my blog, and add up to date pictures, so please visit as often as you can.
I have enjoyed telling you a little bit about myself and all about my hopes for the future, with your help I know my dreams can come true.
You can make a donation by following the link above, this will take you to a Paypal page that will accept donations for my fund.
If you prefer to send a cheque please make it payable to CassiesWishingWell.org and send it to:
CassiesWishingWell.org
c/o 13 Dolphin Point
Dolphin Way
Purfleet
Essex
RM19 1NR