Until Tristan attended the Breathe Magic camp he had never come across anybody else with hemiplegia, so the initiative helped him realise that there were other children with the same difficulties,
The difference Magic can make – Tristan – Breathe Magic Intensive Therapy Programme
"Now he’s attempting all sorts of things without my help. It’s great to see him have that determination and selfconfidence to be independent.”
The atmosphere on the camps is very supportive — with the children helping each other to overcome their challenges and learn the tricks.
Socially Tristan has gained more confidence thanks to the Breathe Magic experience and he’s more self-empowered now. Thanks to an introduction from the Breathe Magic team, he has now progressed onto a new handstrengthening programme at the Evelina Children’s Hospital led by Amarlie Moore, the Senior Occupational Therapist at Breathe Magic which aims to strengthen his hand muscles and improve his dexterity further.
"Breathe Magic has had a massive impact on Tristan. Learning how to perform magic tricks meant that, for the first time in his life, he could do things which his friends couldn’t even attempt to do. It also helped him realise that the limb that wasn’t very good could perform tasks which he thought were impossible if he stuck at it. Now he’s attempting all sorts of things without my help, such as putting on a hoodie and zipping it up. He has also been moved up in his reading and writing groups at school due to his new sense of self-belief. As a Mum it’s great to see him have that determination and self-confidence to be independent.”