Mila, 8, and mum Kerry from Braintree, have become popular social media advocates of the Theraposture Mascot care cot as they share how it improves their lives on a daily basis
Mila is a lively and smiley girl who loves going to school, swimming and bowling. Recently transitioning to special needs education, Mila needs 24/7 care as she has learning and physical disabilities. Diagnosed with bilateral dystonic cerebral palsy at 17 months old, Mila continues to make excellent progress which has been helped by the safety of a Theraposture cot. Her Mascot, which is a power adjustable care bed, has also ensured Kerry has peace of mind at night knowing that Mila can’t accidently harm herself.
The huge difference this cot has made to their lives has compelled Kerry to share their stories on social media – resulting in viral videos and huge interest from other parents with disabled children. Kerry took delivery of the Mascot in October 2022. She had tried other beds before, however they weren’t ideal. A floor bed, for example, meant Mila couldn’t fall out, however this became increasingly difficult for Kerry as she had to lift and lower Mila. A side rail was added, but if Mila leant on it with her head, she didn’t have the strength to lift herself off, causing a possible safety risk. Kerry’s back pain got progressively worse, so a family member built a cot which was higher, but it did not include any functionality, so again a better solution was needed. The Mascot was found online by Kerry searching ‘safe specialist beds’ – it appeared absolutely perfect. Kerry contacted Theraposture and a video assessment was conducted so the bed could be tailormade to Mila’s needs.
Mila’s mum Kerry explains: “I wanted to get a cot funded by the local authority, however I expected it would take a long time. In the end though, we managed to get a Mascot within eight weeks which was brilliant – we are so grateful to Essex County Council and Theraposture.
“The cot was desperately needed as I couldn’t get carers in without a bed that had high-low movement, plus my back was so bad from lifting Mila. It was awful, and I knew it was only going to get worse as Mila became older and heavier. The local authority did try and offer us other beds but I refused, they kept trying, but I said no. I knew about the Mascot and that it would work for Mila. I had to give the social occupational therapist all the reasons why, which was helped by the online meeting I had with Theraposture.
“They showed me all the different features and choices. We discussed how tall it needed to be, where the feeding tube hole needed to go, and then we designed where the padding went and the windows. We designed it all together which was nice. I could choose the colour of the padding, which is not something that happens with an NHS bed. I’d just had Mila’s bedroom redecorated so I wanted something that matched. In the end, I had all the justification I needed and the council said yes.”
Since being installed, the Mascot has made a significant difference to daily life. Kerry is now able to change Mila and get her ready for bed at waist height, rather than having to bend over or lower her to the floor. This has eliminated Kerry’s back pain and they are both sleeping a bit better.
Kerry continues: “I am reassured she is safe when I am asleep. Mila does still wake up, but I can go in and calm her quickly. Before, I had to watch her most of the night on the camera or sit with her, whereas now I know she’s not going to bang her head or hurt herself. She may have a seizure, spasm or rock herself at the side of the bed but it’s padded, so she’ll be ok.
“The mattress profiling has also been a massive plus. If Mila’s feeling a bit sick or struggling with her hay fever I have the option to lift her head without having to shove pillows under the mattress. She can get bad reflux so her head being a little bit elevated also helps. We’ve personalised the cot by adding Mila’s name to it. Plus, as she gets bigger, we can just make the sides higher so we don’t need to buy another cot. The wipeable mattress makes a big difference as well, and overall the bed is easy to maintain.
“The special safety mechanism on the doors is important as she tends to rock or kick. If that wasn’t there the doors could be forced open and she might fall on the floor. If she had an open-sided cot she would be throwing herself out of bed and crawling around her bedroom banging her head. There is also an extra safety bar I can use if needed. Mila loves being in her cot. She sits up playing happily in her bed whilst I get ready in the mornings. The cot is taller than the other ones we’ve had but we’ve had no issues with Mila adjusting. She peeks through the windows which makes me laugh!”
As the Mascot has been life-changing for both of them, Kerry shares their experiences on social media. This has resulted in lots of interest online with one of their videos being viewed over seven million times. Kerry’s followers continue to grow as do the number of questions she is receiving about the Mascot.
Kerry continues: “I’ve always posted on social media, especially as we fundraise for Mila – I like to let people know the difference their donations have made. I give updates on her specialist therapy in Canada, we go two or three times a year. Plus, I do it to raise awareness about cerebral palsy. I find Instagram is a really good community for parents with disabled children. If you ask a question on there, someone will answer.
“Last September I committed to posting every day and since then interest has gone up – it’s definitely the Mascot that people are interested in. They are intrigued about what it can do. I’ve had lots of special needs families contact me who haven’t seen the bed before and ask where to get one. One family the other day also got a Mascot and said thank you so much to me, they said if it hadn’t been for my posts, they would have never asked their OT for a Theraposture cot. All of this gives me a boost.”
Follow Kerry and Mila at: @milas.journey and donations to her care can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/milasjourneyy
To find out more about the range of products from Theraposture visit: Theraposture.co.uk.
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