All the therapists are great with the children, and able to bring out the best in them. They are able to adapt and work in a way that is best for my daughter, which will be different for each child, and she has improved so much
This unique spider and mat physiotherapy are both fabulous for Albie. The spider is marvellous, not only because it’s fun, but it supports them, while doing hard physiotherapy. It helped Albie’s brain to make new connections. It’s helped him gain strength and control of his limbs and without this he wouldn’t be walking, which he loves! Albie had meningitis and left-sided stroke at birth & we were told he would never do anything. Glad you and Albie can prove them wrong!
The benefits are massive, they keep our children mobile, they help them become independent, the physio is the best in the country!
Ambers core strength always seems better after she’s finished her sessions. She sleeps better and we also take notes on what she’s been doing and continue this in school every day
Without the Foundation we wouldn’t be able to come so often, which would impact Ronnie’s mobility massively
The therapy grants have helped us access the block sessions x4 a year for the past 4 years post SDR and we are so grateful for this financial support. Funding physio is a constant financial strain and brings a great deal of stress to families like ours. This support helps us know we can at least offer Thomas intensive blocks throughout the year and for this I can still get some sleep at night!
Footsteps has a great team of physio’s, who really work hard with the children and are very knowledgeable and easy to approach and ask any questions.
I feel the team are very good at pushing the children to achieve that little bit extra. I know our son can be very difficult to handle but the team have always been wonderful and tried different methods to keep him engaged and progressing.
"Just want you to know that your support has had a huge impact on Isaac’s life as well as ours as a family, we will never forget and will always be eternally grateful. Isaac’s intensive block back in April this year was a massive turning point for him and for us learning how we can support him to achieve his potential. Isaac is now up on his feet and so confident!!! We saw you for a session in August and the harness we discussed has worked amazingly and has really given him the confidence he needed! Being up on his feet has really opened up a whole new world to explore and this is all happening thanks to you and footsteps! Our next challenge is learning how to get up off the floor independently, they’ll be no stopping him once he’s mastered that!"
Cerys has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and was just four when we first attended Footsteps. She had never walked - and we had been informed by doctors that this was it - she wouldn’t ever walk. By the end of the first three week session at Footsteps she had taken her very first steps. Each time Cerys attends a course she make a significant improvement in her walking and her confidence. From not being able to take a step at all, we are now in the process of mastering walking upstairs!”
The benefits are massive, they keep our children mobile, they help them become independent, the physio is the best in the country!
Unfortunately, we had not seen great progress with NHS physio, partly because they can only offer 3/4 times a month maximum and also during lockdown we even lost that possibility. Also, the physio found it challenging to motivate Elliot. Elliot resisted the sessions from a very young age, he become very upset at each of the sessions and this limited as how much the therapist could achieve. It just hasn’t worked as well as our sessions at Footsteps. It is hugely beneficial that the sessions can be booked for 2-3 week blocks and my son has an amazing relationship with the therapist he has been paired with. We have seen some really great progress after each session. He is motivated and challenged in a way that works for him, by making the sessions fun and games. Having been a few times now, the therapist understands his personality extremely well, recognises subtle changes and adapts the exercises, thus maximising his potential. Our son is happy to come to the sessions and we have seen constant improvement in his mobility, his core strength and his confidence.
The benefits are huge, Phoebe loves coming to Footsteps - it is a amazing centre designed to provide intensive physiotherapy with highly professional physio’s who work around the strength, limitations and personality of the child. It’s a very rare resource which we hold in high regard. We feel incredibly lucky to be able to attend & be assisted to do so by the charity Footsteps Foundation.
Simply, the funding towards therapy from Footsteps Foundation enables us to attend the sessions; I am a full time carer for Clark so we would be unable to attend twice a year and questionably once. The funding is a HUGE weight off the minds of already stressed parents and carers who simply want the best therapy our children can access. Footsteps is the best out there, we are incredibly grateful to receive the grant as well as the Helping Hands and free shoes, I'm sure they seem small to the Foundation but those little things add up to enormous support for families such as ours who are counting every penny.
Footsteps have managed the last year with such sensitivity and professionalism. We have felt so reassured by the measures you have taken and can honestly say that without your therapy provision the past year our experience of COVID would have been traumatic – and I don’t use that word lightly. Because of you, we have managed to keep Thomas’ strength and stamina. Our hard work of the past 5 years could have gone to waste and it would have had we not been able access therapy for a year.
Having regular therapy helps all areas of child development. We would be in a much worse place health wise without Footsteps.
It has not only helped in a physical sense but Amelie's attitude and behaviour has improved, she follows instructions better, is more patient
The therapy provided by Footsteps is invaluable, we will continue to attend and recommend to others.
We receive a therapy grant which enables our son to attend 3 times a year due to our low income. The more intensive therapy he has, the more he improves, giving us hope of a better life for him.
With two children attending footsteps the therapy grants and sibling supplements have been a life-saver, this helps us to attend more sessions which only benefits them.
Therapists make each session feel like fun through play/games for the children to distract from the hard work the children do. At the end of the hour, the therapist will give feedback on what the session entailed.
We cannot stress enough as to how extremely helpful the therapy grant is to our Leon. It allowed us to bring him for therapy twice already within 5 months and book another session for this year too. He doesn’t have any other proper one-to-one physiotherapy, so to be able to bring him to Footsteps Centre more often thanks to Footsteps Foundation funding has an enormous impact. As I mentioned before, he still cannot walk, but after only two sessions, we’ve noticed a huge difference in his mobility and general confidence. More frequent and regular physiotherapy really does make a huge impact and the grants are enabling us to be able to afford that. Each time we get that tiny bit closer to our ultimate goal, which is to enable Leon to reach his full potential and be more confident and independent. We couldn’t be more grateful to all those good-hearted people who donate to Footsteps Foundation thus enabling our children to have a chance of more frequent visits to the Physiotherapy Centre.
The therapists are great and they all seem knowledgeable and not fazed by working with all different children and abilities. Parents come back year on year which shows that the therapy is beneficial and is working!
