Meet Paul

A young man wearing blue shorts, a blue t-shirt, blue baseball cap and sunglasses sits in a powered wheelchair outside. In the background there are blushes and foliage.

Meet Paul

Portable hoist

Paul, from Gravesend, is experiencing newfound freedom thanks to a special hoist, which means he can now move freely about his home and enjoy get aways.

The mother of 24-year-old Paul, who has an extremely rare genetic condition called Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome, says the gantry hoist has “had a huge impact on Paul both physically and mentally.”

Kerry Worthington, Paul’s mum, explains:

“Paul has very complex need and requires full-time care. His condition causes spasticity in his limbs and means he requires a wheelchair full-time. As he’s got older – and bigger and heavier – it’s become more difficult to meet his needs around the home and his carers aren’t allowed to manually lift him without using a hoist.

“We have ceiling hoists in the bedroom and bathroom to help him in and out of bed and with his personal hygiene, but it’s very limiting. Even simply transferring him to the sofa so he can relax comfortably and watch a movie together as a family had become very difficult and at times, unsafe.”

At a cost of over £3,000, Paul’s family reached out to Children Today Charitable Trust for support towards funding for the hoist, and with match funding from The Hospital Saturday Trust were able to pledge £2000 towards the life-changing equipment.  

“We’re so thankful for the support from Children Today and The Hospital Saturday Fund. There are so few charities that offer support for over 18s with things like this, but the need is still there,” says Kerry.  

The hoist means that Paul can, now, not only move more freely between rooms in the house and the garden, but it’s also opened up his world when he goes away as it is portable. It can also be operated by one person unlike most portable hoists, which usually require a minimum of two people. 

Kerry continues:

“Finding a holiday home that is equipped to meet Paul’s needs is a challenge, and those that are suitable are usual ridiculously expensive, but now we have this hoist it means there are so many more options as the equipment can go with him. He’s really looking forward to a trip to Butlins in August.”      

During the pandemic Paul needed to shield which meant he had no access to his usual physiotherapy sessions. Hydrotherapy has really helped Paul over the years, easing tightness in his muscles, so his family purchased a Lay-Z Spa during lockdown to provide some form of physio to help him relax.  

 

Kerry adds:

“When we first bought the hot tub for Paul’s physio, we were able to lift him in and out of it ourselves, but he’s grown since then and it’s got to the point that we’re no longer capable of lifting him. Being able to use the gantry hoist to get him in and out safely and easily, means Paul can benefit from the effects of the warm water, which relaxes his stiff limbs. It also gives him a feeling of freedom, the impact this has on Paul both physically and mentally is profound.”

A young man lies back in a Lay-Z-Spa hot tub with an orange float around his neck smiling and laughing

Paul is able to experience the physical and emotional benefits of the warm water in his Lay-Z Spa once again

Can you help us support more young adults, like Paul, be more independent ?

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