I was born in Leicester Royal Infirmary in 1991,
This is me with my Mum and Dad on the day I was born. The pictures were taken by my Mum's dad who we call Grumpy George. He cycled 40 miles to see me the day I arrived!! and didn't forget the camera!!
I was born with congenital hip displasia for which I
lived for the first 10 weeks in a pavlec harness.
I weighed 6lb 1.5 oz at birth and this is me next to a Thomas the Tank Engine Video
I went to the seaside for the first time when I was 3 weeks old
Here is me and Mummy at Aldeburgh. Apparently breastfeeding in the car is not much fun!!!
I was diagnosed at 5 weeks as having Cri Du Chat Syndrome. This was a big shock to all concerned as everyone thought I just looked like my Great-Grandad who had just passed away.
I was christened at the church where Mummy & Daddy were married. My dress was made by the lady who made the wedding dress for Mummy and used the material left over.
By this time I had developed a habit which Mummy and Daddy didn't like very much of stopping breathing for a while and had to spend time going in and out of hospital! I was also not very good at keeping my food down and used to drive Mummy mad as I was always throwing up over my pretty dressses and designer clothes.
I rolled for the first time at 6 months
As you can see I didn't dress for the ocassion but was amazed at the achievement!!
At 7 months it was decided that because I was small (10 lbs) I would have to be tube fed as I could not keep my food down.
As you can see my mum has a sense of humour failure when it comes to dressing me!!
When I was 7.5 months I had an operation to tighten the top of my stomach to stop me being sick and I had a gastrostomy tube fitted to make feeding me easier. The operation was called a Nissen's Fundoplication and I was in hospital for 4 weeks. I thought this a long time as my friend had open heart surgery and was home in 6 days!! But I was not one to make things easy on anyone and was determined that all the family that year would spend their birthdays on the hospital wards!!!
Well I got to one year and had a birthday swim in which I invited all my friends and family to do a sponsored swim for Cri Du Chat before they could have any of my birthday cake.
Here I am on my actual birthday with my God father John
I started having a 'Portage' teacher just after my first birthday and she helped teach my Mummy and Daddy how to help me develop. I crawled at 18 months My Grumpy George was a photographer and he was always taking photos of me. Here are just a few.
In those days taking my photo was easy because I wasn't moving around like I do now!!
When I was 1 year I started to go to respite care so that Mummy and Daddy could have a break as I was a naughty so & so and would hold my breath a lot. It was a house on an estate which just looked after children with special needs. I liked it there as I was spoilt and always got white chocolate buttons when the meeting was going on on Fridays!!!!
Ar 20 months I started going to a special needs nursery 2 days a week called Menphys where I got lots of love and stimulation. I learn't to do makaton sign language there and my first sign was all gone/finished. Mummy cried when I did it. She can be emotional at times but usually when I have thrown my breakfast at the walls!!!
Life in our house got a bit more hectic with the arival of my brother Sam. Mummy now had two 'babies' to sort out and I didn't always make this easy.
I started to walk when I was 3 at the Sam time as my brother Sam.
Here is Me in my Mum's favorite photo. Don't know why I can usually look much more unkempt than that!!
By this time school photo's had begun to arrive and here I am at 4 years old. My parents think I look a bit like Jimbob from the Waltons!!
Another child entered our house when I was 3 1/2 when Char Char was born.
I left Menphys after 4 years to go to big school called Forest Way.
It was about this time that I started making sounds and I am getting better each day. Although they are only vowel sounds I can make myself almost understood to Mummy.
I should stay there until I am 18 with any luck. I go in a taxi with an escort and sometimes we stop to look at the horses on the way home.
I joined the Brownies when I was 7 and have now joined Mencap Youth club as well as Hinckley Boys Club. My social life is hectic and I am maturing everyday!!! This also means that I can do more naughty things too!!!!.
Well that really is my life nearly up to date as there have been no big changes to my life since then. I contimue to be a source of amazement to everyone who knows me and I make friends easily if you have a strong constitution!!. So here are some pics of me in the last few years.
Thank you for looking at my page I hope you may visit in the future so that you can continue you monitor my progress.
If you would like to go back to Mummy's page please click here. Mummy's Page
If you would like to find out more about Cri Du Chat click here Cri Du Chat
Some other pages to try:
Elaine's page
The UK Cri Du Chat Site