County service for disabled children has its funds cut
Saturday, 4.00pm - PARENTS of a baby born with a life-threatening condition are appalled by the county council's latest cost-cutting plans.
Saturday, 4.00pm - PARENTS of a baby born with a life-threatening condition are appalled by the county council's latest cost-cutting plans.Lincolnshire County Council is to withdraw funding which helps pay for a support worker to provide vital help to families of children and adults suffering from spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
Lincolnshire County Council currently contributes 17,000 a year to help pay for a single specialist worker to provide support to the 155 affected families in the county.
Anna Knight and her husband Martin, of Edward Street, Grantham, say they could not have coped without such support after their eight-month-old son was born with hydrocephalus - or water on the brain.
Martin said: "It is shocking that the council is withdrawing the funding. It would be awful for a parent to go through this alone.
"Not having this support could be the difference between life and death."
Hari's parents were warned their son had the condition while he was still in the womb.
Martin said: "We were told he would be severely disabled, unable to walk and we were given the option of a termination.
"Yet from that conversation to where he is today is ridiculous. He will pick up things a bit slower but, considering what he has gone through, he is a perfectly happy little boy."
Hari was born with a 'reservoir' on the top of his head and a bleed on the brain. He had to have two operations before he was five-weeks-old and has had a shunt device fitted to help clear some of the fluid.
Anna said: "We had no idea what hydrocephalus was and when we left the hospital we weren't told anything.
"We didn't even know that the shunt could break - we weren't told a thing."
Thankfully, the family were visited by Linda Knight from the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus who provided vital assistance.
Following the funding cuts, the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus is appealing for help to keep supporting Lincolnshire families.
Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care, Graham Marsh, said: "The county council is reviewing all contracts that are up for renewal to ensure that our limited funding meets our obligations and provides value for money.
"ASBAH does not meet that criteria and although we have supported them in the past, the situation does change and we have to ensure we get the best value for money for the people of Lincolnshire."
If you can help, call the charity on 01733 421349.
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Weather for Grantham
Sunday 01 August 2010
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