“Double Trouble”

at King Edward VII Lodge

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Reece sat up on his own for the first-time last Saturday and I just cried my eyes out.

As freemasons, we all give money to charity regularly, but to see where it’s going,

Double Trouble at King Edward VII

King Edward VII Lodge at Wigmore have taken on the sponsorship of twin boys at Step and Learn, a charity helping children with cerebral palsy and similar motor function disabilities in Kent and Medway.

Caiden and Reece Todd are the twin sons of proud parents Chris and Lisa. Unfortunately, they were born prematurely at 30 weeks weighing only 3lb 1oz each and consequently, they both suffered serious brain injuries.

Picture of Caiden and Reece Todd are the twin sons of proud parents Chris and Lisa.

Caiden had a grade 1 brain bleed at 2 days old. Reece’s cranial scan also showed a flare. Chris and Lisa were told when leaving the hospital after 6 weeks that both boys had bilateral periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), an injury that affects the ability of the brain to transmit information between nerve cells, the spinal cord, and from one part of brain to the other.

They were later diagnosed with Cerebral palsy and have been attending Step and Learn since they were 10 months old. At their original assessment, neither of them could sit up, roll, crawl, or bear weight. Caiden in particular, had very poor head control and his hands were always closed in a fist.

Great Progress

Since then, the boys have made great progress. Caiden’s head control has improved so much, he has learned to roll over onto his front and back. He can sit when placed in position on the floor with very little assistance, can sit on a chair resting hands on a table, again with little assistance. He can bear weight through his arms when four-point kneeling, his hands are no longer constantly fisted, and he can now raise his arms and push the buttons on cause-and-effect toys. He’s even began to feed himself with snacks. He can bear weight through legs in standing and even tries to stand on his own.

Reece can now roll and crawl across the floor. He can pull himself over a soft play block, sit unaided for up to 5 minutes when put into position, and sit on chair at a table unaided. He pushes himself into four-point kneeling and can bear weight in standing – and if there’s a table in front of him doesn’t need assistance. He’s even starting to take steps in a walker!

The family came to visit King Edward VII Lodge before they started their meeting at Wigmore last night (9th October). It was a great opportunity for the members to meet the boys and see exactly where their money was going.

The family with lodge members in the Lodge

Lisa thanked the lodge for their support in sponsoring Reece and Caiden. In a very short but emotional statement, she said, “The work they do at Step and Learn is amazing. The boys wouldn’t be able to do half of things they can do now without them. Reece sat up on his own for the first-time last Saturday and I just cried my eyes out. Knowing that you guys have secured their place with the sponsorship means so much to us, and we can’t thank you enough”.

Ron Stronach, the lodge charity steward said, “It’s a great pleasure to meet the family. As freemasons, we all give money to charity regularly, but to see where it’s going, and the tangible good that it’s doing is just a fantastic feeling. We’re proud to sponsor Reece and Caiden at Step and Learn, and we hope to be able to do so for many years to come”.

Step and Learn chairman Patrick Barden presented the lodge’s sponsorship pack to acting master Dereck Chapman, and the family posed for photographs in the lodge before having a quick drink at the bar and getting the boys home for bed. They’ll be back soon though, as Brian Ross (master of the lodge) has invited them to be his guests at their white table meeting in December.

If you’d like to find out more about Step and Learn, or perhaps even sponsor a child, please visit www.stepandlearn.org .

STEP AND LEARN

A Charity Driven By Passion

Step and Learn is a charity dedicated to assist the physical and educational improvements of children with Cerebral Palsy and associated motor difficulties. Our aim, like Andras Peto the Hungarian founder of Conductive Education, is to view the child holistically, educating and motivating the child through play to become active participants throughout their daily lives.

Step and Learn provides the building blocks to children who have to learn how to control their body, a skill that is second nature to a child with no neurological impairments. We teach them to sit, stand, feed themselves etc. Tasks that will make them depend less on others when they are older as they equipped with the tools that enable them to be more independent.

Taken from https://www.stepandlearn.org

A group photo of the family and lodge members

The Article was by WBro Mark Lawson

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