Watching your baby take their first steps is one of the most exciting experiences a parent can have. But for Aleksandra Ordon, it triggered the start of an “indescribable” nightmare.
Her son, Oliwier Kweicien, began walking when he was almost two years old. When Aleksandra noticed he couldn’t stand like other children and kept falling over, she decided to contact a GP.
Aleksandra, who lives in Wythenshawe, was told Oliwier’s symptoms were normal for a child under the age of three and the issues should resolve on their own. But when the toddler continued to fall, sustained bruising and complained of pain, she took him to A&E.
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On arrival at hospital, medics immediately noticed a problem with Oliwier’s leg muscles. Following some tests, it was determined he was suffering from tip toe walking, where children stand predominantly on their tip toes. Toe walking can lead to tight calf muscles and decreased movement of the ankles.
Doctors placed both the tot’s legs in a plaster and got him to use a wheelchair. Once the plaster was removed, Oliwier, now seven, had to learn to walk all over again.
Though he was able to walk and even run, his leg muscles continued to contract, causing his feet to deform. The condition has been likened to ballerinas’ feet after years of dancing.
Mum-of-three Aleksandra says Oliwier’s mobility is slowly decreasing, causing loss of balance and extreme pain which leaves him screaming in agony every single day.
“It's hard for me to see him in pain,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I would like to take some of the pain on myself.
“It's indescribable. I am afraid that such a day will come where I have to tell him that he will never get back on his feet without support.”
Thanks to private rehabilitation, Oliwier is now able to wear forward shoes and sleeps in a special orthoses leg brace. But it’s hoped a special treatment that will administer acids to relax his muscles and stretch them into the right position will help him to walk again pain-free.
However, the treatment is not available on the NHS and will cost in the region of £10k to £11k. While Aleksandra has managed to raise £6,000, she needs help in raising the extra £4,000, she says.
“I didn’t sit and wait for a miracle, I worked and put away £6,000,” she continued. “We are short of over £4,000 and we have less and less time, so I have to ask for help.
“My son's condition is deteriorating; not a day goes by without him crying in pain. Everyone who knows me knows that I do not give up; I fight and work hard to help my child. I am asking for help so that my son does not have to sit on a wheelchair again.”
Aleksandra has set up a fundraiser to help raise cash for the treatment. For more information, click here.
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