Max

Max is 20 and has been coming to Chailey Heritage Foundation for nine years. At just four and a half weeks old, Max contracted whooping cough which caused an acquired brain injury. This resulted in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy which led to profound and multiple learning difficulties.

After Max’s diagnosis the family moved to New Zealand, where they have extended family, as they knew that the climate and temperature could potentially help with Max’s health needs. At just one and a half years old, Max started pulling himself to standing. However, he began to experience an increase in epileptic fits and the family found they were spending almost every weekend in hospital with no respite.

In 2007 the family moved back to the U.K. where they would be able to access more resources for Max’s complex and varied health needs. For three years the family struggled to get the support he desperately needed.

They had been to Chailey Heritage Foundation for a few appointments and had heard from other families about their positive experiences, so they decided to bring Max for a two day assessment to find out if he could attend the school.

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Max immediately responded to his new environment and within a year he started regaining his mobility, eating blended meals and swimming in the hydrotherapy pool.

Sam recalls the massive change it brought to the whole family and says it wasn’t just the care Max received at Chailey that helped, but the social care support the family received which was so life changing.

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Max moved up to the 6th form two years early. He would regularly get up and visit students and teachers in other classrooms. This was encouraged and celebrated rather than restricted as had been the case with the family’s previous experiences.

The family say that seeing him confident enough to socialise and visit new places has been so wonderful. In Sam’s words “It was like the angels started singing when Max came here!”

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