Snowdrop

We are so excited to be a couple of weeks into Drake’s new program! His program is provided through a group located in the UK called Snowdrop. Snowdrop for Brain Injured Children provides programs of neurodevelopmental stimulation for children who have a wide variety of diagnoses, such as cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, developmental delay, PDD and many more. They have chosen the name Snowdrop because it is a symbol of hope through adversity, which is a good metaphor for the families and their children who are aided through the individualized programs. Snowdrop is also one of the first flowers of the year which despite the cold, frost and sometimes the ice, fights its way through these hardships to flower. We already know that our little Drake is a fighter, so this is a perfect fit! 

 

The founder of Snowdrop was previously a chemist who switched directions with his life following the birth of his son with ‘catastrophic brain injuries’. He and his wife, just like us, were told that his son would not live past his 2^nd birthday. Also, like us, they chose not to accept this and through furthered education and research, he and his wife defied the odds and greatly improved the quality of their son’s life. Their son, Daniel, lived to be 16 years old and was able to live a much better life thanks to the efforts of his parents. They have devoted their lives to helping other children and their families, and they began the Snowdrop program in 2007.

 

We are participating in the distance program, as we obviously cannot travel to England at this time; however, we would love to someday for one of his reassessments. I communicate with the founder, Andrew, on pretty much a daily basis thanks to the internet. For Drake’s evaluations, we send videos and answer questions since we are not there in person. Every 5 months a reassessment is completed, and his day-to-day program that we carry out at home is adjusted. We know that this is a long journey, but we are dedicated to his daily exercises. This is in addition to Drake’s regular therapies.

 

I am a part of a parent group who all have children in the Snowdrop program. Each child has an individualized program written to meet their special needs, and I have enjoyed communicating with parents from around the world. I am one of the only parents in the US; therefore, I am adjusting to being referred to as Drake’s “mum” and being told that he is a “handsome little chap.” One of the other parents said that the Snowdrop program is a long term project. We are preparing for an assault on Everest, which has to be at least a five year project! We haven’t left our own country yet, just doing a few limbering up exercises down country lanes and the snow-capped mountains are a long way off, in another continent, but we will get there! Yes, Drake, we will get there!