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| Quadriplegic cerebral palsy: Mum sees son walk for first time | Quadriplegic cerebral palsy: Mum sees son walk for first time |
| (4 months later) | |
| "When you see their faces, you can't put it into words... we still tear up" | "When you see their faces, you can't put it into words... we still tear up" |
| "When you see their faces, you can't put it into words... we still tear up" | "When you see their faces, you can't put it into words... we still tear up" |
| Lynsey Summers says she dreams about seeing her son walk. | Lynsey Summers says she dreams about seeing her son walk. |
| Jacob, 19, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which affects his arms and legs and means he uses a wheelchair. | Jacob, 19, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which affects his arms and legs and means he uses a wheelchair. |
| But thanks to a new machine at his school, Jacob has now stood upright and moved his legs for the first time. | But thanks to a new machine at his school, Jacob has now stood upright and moved his legs for the first time. |
| "I have dreams where he walks and that's emotional, so to actually see that start to be real, I suppose it's the closest I can ever hope for a dream coming true," said Lynsey. | "I have dreams where he walks and that's emotional, so to actually see that start to be real, I suppose it's the closest I can ever hope for a dream coming true," said Lynsey. |
| "It's a sensation he could never have experienced before." | "It's a sensation he could never have experienced before." |
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| 'My first time going to the gym as an amputee' | 'My first time going to the gym as an amputee' |
| Sony unveils PS5 controller for disabled gamers | Sony unveils PS5 controller for disabled gamers |
| Jacob, from Cardiff, cannot sit unaided so most of his movement has traditionally come from physiotherapy sessions. | Jacob, from Cardiff, cannot sit unaided so most of his movement has traditionally come from physiotherapy sessions. |
| "We'd try to do a little bit in the morning, just to loosen him up," Lynsey said, describing doing ankle turns and leg movements with him, which could be quite "stilted". | "We'd try to do a little bit in the morning, just to loosen him up," Lynsey said, describing doing ankle turns and leg movements with him, which could be quite "stilted". |
| Lynsey said you can see how happy it makes Jacob to be able to move his legs while using the machine | Lynsey said you can see how happy it makes Jacob to be able to move his legs while using the machine |
| "It's also very tiring for the person doing it, so it can only be done for a short time, especially because Jacob's an adult now," she added. | "It's also very tiring for the person doing it, so it can only be done for a short time, especially because Jacob's an adult now," she added. |
| "So to have a machine he can go in for a longer period and give him the sensation of walking that he's never experienced before... he goes on there and you see the smile on him." | "So to have a machine he can go in for a longer period and give him the sensation of walking that he's never experienced before... he goes on there and you see the smile on him." |
| Ysgol y Deri is a special school in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, which caters for students aged between three and 19 with a range of learning and physical needs and autism. | Ysgol y Deri is a special school in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, which caters for students aged between three and 19 with a range of learning and physical needs and autism. |
| Physiotherapists at the school trialled the Innowalk device to see if it could help pupils. | Physiotherapists at the school trialled the Innowalk device to see if it could help pupils. |
| It looks a bit like a cross trainer that you would find in a gym, but with lots of extra support | It looks a bit like a cross trainer that you would find in a gym, but with lots of extra support |
| Eighteen months on, paediatric physiotherapist Amelia Stubbs, 31, said they had seen real benefits for pupils. | Eighteen months on, paediatric physiotherapist Amelia Stubbs, 31, said they had seen real benefits for pupils. |
| "In the basic terms, it's their wellbeing," said Ms Stubbs. | "In the basic terms, it's their wellbeing," said Ms Stubbs. |
| "They're up and doing something active, which they wouldn't normally be able to do. | "They're up and doing something active, which they wouldn't normally be able to do. |
| "We notice they're much happier when they come to physiotherapy and really like engaging with us." | "We notice they're much happier when they come to physiotherapy and really like engaging with us." |
| Amelia Stubbs has been using the Innowalk machine with pupils like Jacob to give them the sensation of walking | Amelia Stubbs has been using the Innowalk machine with pupils like Jacob to give them the sensation of walking |
| Lynsey said Jacob looks forward to his sessions: "He gets an endorphin rush when he's been on it, so he's in a much better mood. | Lynsey said Jacob looks forward to his sessions: "He gets an endorphin rush when he's been on it, so he's in a much better mood. |
| "He's happy and jokey. He sleeps really well when he's been on it. It helps with his personal care, bowel movements and achy-ness in his muscles. He really, really enjoys it." | "He's happy and jokey. He sleeps really well when he's been on it. It helps with his personal care, bowel movements and achy-ness in his muscles. He really, really enjoys it." |
| Fellow pupil Seren, 14, also enjoys using the device. | Fellow pupil Seren, 14, also enjoys using the device. |
| "It's actually kind of nice. It's fun if you have something fun to do in it," she said. | "It's actually kind of nice. It's fun if you have something fun to do in it," she said. |
| The school's assistive technology technician, Aaron Hawxwell, had the idea of introducing virtual reality (VR) headsets to the experience. | The school's assistive technology technician, Aaron Hawxwell, had the idea of introducing virtual reality (VR) headsets to the experience. |
| Virtual reality (VR) is used to offer a realistic walking experience | Virtual reality (VR) is used to offer a realistic walking experience |
| Using the perspective of children who used to be able to walk but cannot any longer, they tested a series of VR videos to determine which one offered the most realistic walking experience to the user. | Using the perspective of children who used to be able to walk but cannot any longer, they tested a series of VR videos to determine which one offered the most realistic walking experience to the user. |
| "Some of the kids who can't talk, when you see their faces... you can't put it into words," said Mr Hawxwell. | "Some of the kids who can't talk, when you see their faces... you can't put it into words," said Mr Hawxwell. |
| "Even us, who've been here a long time, we still tear-up. You go home and think about it. It just makes your day." | "Even us, who've been here a long time, we still tear-up. You go home and think about it. It just makes your day." |
| The school chose to purchase two machines after seeing positive results. | The school chose to purchase two machines after seeing positive results. |
| Nineteen-year-old Jacob Summers has stood up and moved his legs for the first time thanks to a machine bought by his school | Nineteen-year-old Jacob Summers has stood up and moved his legs for the first time thanks to a machine bought by his school |
| "For us, we need to invest as much in pupils' wellbeing as we do in their education," said head teacher Chris Britten. | "For us, we need to invest as much in pupils' wellbeing as we do in their education," said head teacher Chris Britten. |
| "When the kids are well and they're in a good place they can learn, and that benefits all of us - and that means our whole community, not just me, not just the teachers, but the parents as well and their families." | "When the kids are well and they're in a good place they can learn, and that benefits all of us - and that means our whole community, not just me, not just the teachers, but the parents as well and their families." |
| The second series of A Special School - based at Ysgol y Deri - begins on Monday at 20:30 on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer. | The second series of A Special School - based at Ysgol y Deri - begins on Monday at 20:30 on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer. |
| A SPECIAL SCHOOL: Behind the scenes at a school like no other | A SPECIAL SCHOOL: Behind the scenes at a school like no other |
| ICONIC WELSH PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS: Kiri Pritchard-McLean unearths the best clips from the BBC Wales archive | ICONIC WELSH PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS: Kiri Pritchard-McLean unearths the best clips from the BBC Wales archive |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Wales | |
| Disability | Disability |
| Cerebral Palsy | Cerebral Palsy |
| Penarth | Penarth |