There are no specialist intensive therapy centres in New Zealand, nor is there any funding for children to have it.
With the encouragement of Emmy’s family, therapists from the Centre of Movement in Australia have just held a three-week course in Christchurch.
“Families in Australia are able to access 250 hours of intensive therapy. When you come over to New Zealand, unfortunately they don’t have the access,” said Steve Pennisi.
Parents like Alice Hosted from Kerikeri are paying privately around $9000 for the three-week course.
Her nine-month-old baby Archie has developmental delays.
“I had a pretty harrowing birth and the result of it was that Archie was born not breathing. As a result of that experience he has a brain injury,” Hosted told Newshub.
“It’s a really terrifying place to be. The outcome that you’re given is really uncertain.”
Hosted came across Emmy’s story on social media and signed Archie up for the intensive therapy course in Christchurch.
She said young Archie had difficulty holding his head up but after intensive therapy is seeing a huge improvement.
“It’s just been amazing to see him get up off the floor and experience what the world’s like at that level. It’s been such hard work for him. He’s just so tenacious and he’s a beautiful boy and we’re incredibly proud of him,” said Hosted.
“Archie will be walking independently. When I was a kid, my dad took us all on a tramp to Mount Herbert when we turned five. That’s what I want for Archie.
“The gains we’re seeing is that the kids can go to a mainstream school, they’re getting included in all the kids’ sports and they’re able to keep up with their siblings,” Emily Pennisi told Newshub.
“It is so exciting just to see the change you get when a kiddo reaches a milestone like they lift their head for the first time or they prop with their arms or hands or they take their first step or they stand independently for the first time.
“Probably the most exciting one is when they do take independent steps and typically that’s the big goal for most families and when you see that – words can’t explain. It’s an absolutely beautiful feeling,” Steve Pennisi told Newshub.
Hosted described the children undergoing intensive therapy as little “warriors”.
“They have had every barrier put in our way and they are just grinding to get these results.”
Both McNeill and Hosted said the New Zealand government should be funding intensive therapy for children who need it.
“I understand that you have to consider carefully what therapies you fund but there is so much research that supports this. Australia is way more at the ready to fund this kind of therapy so I just think it’s a real let-down. We are all taxpayers and we’re not getting what we need in our hour of need it seems. It’s really upsetting,” Hosted told Newshub.
“Doesn’t matter where you live, what money you have, who you are – they should all get this type of therapy,” added McNeill.
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