SPECIALIST SEATING CASE STUDY - JACK'S STORY
Jack was a 10 year old boy who suffered from complex epilepsy, scoliosis and chronic lung disease.
He would have had to sit in unsafe chairs which offered him very little in terms of postural support or pressure management. This lack of support and poor positioning meant he was sitting in pain throughout the day. He would also have had problems with falling from the chair which was very dangerous and scary for both Jack and his family. The lack of postural support in the chair didn’t accommodate or support his scoliosis or provide a safe, comfortable position. He was often slumped over to the side, which affected his ability to eat, breathe properly, fall asleep and rest in the chair as well as hindering him from performing any simple functional tasks.
Jack was unable to re-position himself in his chair and relied on family members to reposition him constantly throughout the day as he constantly fell into poor posture.
Jack’s Mum arranged a Seating Assessment with Seating Matters, and their local Seating Specialist visited the family and subsequently recommended the Kidz Phoenix for Jack to try. The Kidz Phoenix comes as standard with inbuilt pressure management throughout as well as adjustable head, neck, shoulder and lateral supports all padded with pressure management materials which would be greatly supportive for his scoliosis, catering for his postural and pressure care needs.
Since he has had the Phoenix chair, Jack who is non-verbal, is clearly much happier in his new chair with his Mum reporting that he ‘talks with his eyes and smiles.’ It is widely believed by the Doctors and the family that his Kidz Phoenix chair has been a contributor in prolonging his life beyond previous medical predictions.
His chair is his ‘safe place’ and he can comfortably recline, tilt and take a nap without fear of falling out or fear of his posture being compromised. Improved upright positioning has increased his ability to perform some functional tasks whilst in the chair and his breathing and digestion have also improved. This keeps Jack and his Mum very happy and content!
To find out more about our Kidz Specialist Seating range please click here.