Daisy is almost 4 and starts school in September and I can honestly say that there has been very few instances of upset or frustration from Daisy or those of us close to her. There really has not been much, or in fact anything really that she has not been able to do or found upsetting.
For her last birthday she had a bike and she was absolutely over the moon with it. It didn't take her long to get the nack of pedalling it and she was soon moving about. However over time we noticed she somehow couldn't quite coordinate the steering whilst concentrating on the pedals and vice versa. We realised this was because steering was difficult, she couldn't quite gain the control she needed over the handlebars to be able to ride properly. It is quite clear to see that this is because her right arm- hand distance to the handle is shorter as she doesn't have the length that she has from the left hand, which leaves her naturally bending forward and putting weight awkwardly on the handlebars, which just means her steering is a little one sided and well, off balance.
We decided that before it because a frustration that we would speak to her OT (Occupational therapist) and ask for some help. This was the first time we had asked for any kind of help or support, up until now we had done just fine between us. I am going to write a post how I personally feel about this and the emotions involved but for now I will just say it wasn't easy, as in emotionally but for selfish reasons really. I knew that Daisy would thrive with a slight adaptation on her bike, that it would mean she could really put her all into riding her bike and hopefully enjoy it rather than finding it hard work and tedious.
We have had our appointment with the prosthesis team that will build her an adaptation for her handlebars and she has had her hand cast for the size and shape. Hopefully it should be just be a matter of weeks before we get to take her bike back there to see if its fits. The idea is that it will be almost like a cup that her hand will slide into, giving her the length she needs to balance and have good posture whilst also being able to control the bike effectively. I will no doubt share some more information about it once we have it and once we know how Daisy has reacted. So far she is pleased with the thought that they are "fixing her bike" so she can ride it good with her "little hand".
She did have a quiet moment whilst they were casting her (think of plaster cast like when you break your arm!) as i just think it dawned on her that something strange was happening, but she handled it like a champion! I am sure she is going to adapt to it well and be proud of it.
Hayley x
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