A new facility that caters specifically for young people with limb loss and wheelchair requirements has been opened at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).
The Mobility Centre Children’s Annexe forms part of the regional NUH Mobility Centre at the City Hospital Site, which supports patients of all ages from across Nottinghamshire Lincolnshire and parts of Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
The new facility has been built specifically for patients from birth through to 18 years old who need prosthetic limbs and bespoke wheelchairs, as well as specialised assessment and therapy services. It includes a number of clinical and assessment rooms, a room with child-friendly gym equipment and office space for up to 36 staff. There is also a specially created outdoor training area, featuring cobbles, uneven ground, tarmac, concrete and sand, which gives patients the opportunity to test their new equipment over different surfaces.
The NUH Mobility Centre is part of a network of 33 regional centres for amputee rehabilitation across the UK and oversees care for around 1,800 amputees and 12,000 wheelchair users. Approximately 500 children are referred (or re-referred) each year to the City Hospital-based site.
The new Mobility Centre Children’s Annexe means that there is now a separate space for young people that caters for their specific mobility needs, in a building which meets all their accessibility needs. It is a key step in NUH’s developing plans to improve the wider Mobility Centre facilities.
One of the first to attend the new facility is eight-year-old William Reckless, from Huthwaite. William suffered sepsis in 2020 at just three years old.
After attending King’s Mill Hospital, William was put into an induced coma and transferred to Nottingham Children’s Hospital at the Queen’s Medical Centre for specialist care.
Mum Gemma Reckless explained: “On arrival at the QMC, William suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. At that point we were told to prepare for the worst – he was not expected to survive.
“Thankfully, William pulled through. But it was a long and tough journey. His kidneys were failing meaning he required intensive haemodialysis, his lung had collapsed, he required multiple chest drains, and he had suffered brain injury.”
The sepsis had caused irreversible damage, which meant William needed to have both of his legs and nine of his fingers amputated. He has been a patient at the Mobility Centre since April 2020 and uses two prosthetic legs.
Gemma said: “When we first came to the Mobility Centre, William was very unsteady as you can imagine.
“He slowly had to build his strength up to be able to balance while he adjusted to his new way of walking. He was also very shy and obviously traumatised by what had happened to him, so for a long time he wouldn’t speak to any of the centre’s staff.
“Now, you can’t stop him. The staff have been absolutely fantastic and have supported William throughout his journey. He’s really chatty when he attends the centre and he’s soon going to be fitted with processor knees, which means the prosthetic legs will be able to bend when he sits down, rather than being straight out in front of him.
“It’s another milestone reached, and I couldn’t be prouder of the way he has – and is – coping with his disability. We’re really looking forward to using this new facility which has been designed specifically for children and young adults.”
Eleven-year-old Lilly-Grace Margeson is another of the new facility’s first patients.
She was born with a rare genetic disorder – Wiedemann–Steiner Syndrome – which causes developmental delay, unusual facial features, short stature, and reduction in muscle tone. When she was ten, she was also diagnosed with Behr Syndrome, a neurological disorder that significantly affects mobility to a point where Lilly is now unable to walk.
Lilly’s mum, Kim, said: “We noticed Lilly becoming very wobbly and clumsy after she started to become mobile. As these actions aren’t something typically associated with Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome she had to go through a series of tests, which resulted in the Behr diagnosis. She had her initial wheelchair at four years old.”
Lilly’s next appointment at the new Children’s Annexe will be to test a new wheelchair which can be tilted up and down, allowing Lilly to lie down or sit up when being pushed.
Kim said: “As Lilly’s muscles are deteriorating, she needs more support in her wheelchair so that she can sit better in it. The new equipment will also mean she can lie down when she needs to, which will take the pressure off some areas of her body, making her more comfortable.”
Kim added: “The staff at the Mobility Centre couldn’t be more helpful and we really appreciate all the support they have given us over the years.
“Lilly has attended a special needs school since she was four and absolutely loves it. The equipment she uses has played a key part in allowing her to attend this school, and we’re so grateful for the help and guidance the centre’s staff have given to ensure she has the right equipment to support her needs.”
Sue Brisco, Mobility Centre Manager, said: “This new space is going to be so beneficial for patients like William and Lilly-Grace, as well as staff.
“As it’s purpose-built, we’ve ensured it delivers the appropriate facilities for our young patients. This will increase their privacy, dignity and independence within a safe, clean, accessible environment.
“For our staff, the facilities provide an environment that is modern, clean and accessible. The design of the space significantly increases the opportunities for collaboration between the different teams working at the centre, which will enhance patient care.”
