Callum's condition has been greatly improved by the helmet
Callum Meenaghan has been given a head start
in life thanks to the help of
a special cranial helmet.
The 14-month-old youngster
was born with a condition
called plagiocephaly, also
known as flat head syndrome,
which affects the shape of the
head and the way it grows.
Callum's parents Gemma
and John, from Crawley,
learned about a treatment
which would help realign the
misshapen bones and allow the
head to develop normally.
Since October, the youngster
has been wearing the helmet
almost every day and the
results have been so impressive
Callum has recently
finished his final treatment.
Now Gemma, 30, and John,
40, who work as BA cabin crew,
are hoping their story will help
other families like theirs.
The couple from Pound Hill
were overjoyed when Callum
was born in February 2007.
advertisement
There had been no complications
during the pregnancy or
birth and they had a beautiful
healthy son.
At the age of three months,
Gemma noticed Callum was
developing an unusually
shaped head, which appeared
to be flat on the right-hand side
and was bulging on the left.
Various health experts told
the couple the condition was
common in newborn babies,
Callum had no underlying
medical problems and that it
should correct itself.
However, after three
months of numerous visits to
physiotherapists and various
repositioning exercises, the
Meenaghans saw no improvement
in the shape of Callum's
head.
Gemma said: "We knew
there was a helmet treatment
available that assists in
correcting the condition but at
this stage we knew little else
about it.
"We had already been
informed by the physio that
the NHS would not help with
the cost treatment of plagiocephaly
but we felt that
Callum's condition was becoming
worse and we needed to do
something."
It was at this stage the
Meenaghans began to research
plagiocephaly on the internet
and came across the Technology
In Motion website.
They made an appointment
at the company's centre in
Wimbledon and after going
through the necessary checks
and tests, Callum started wearing
the helmet at eight months
old.
Gemma said: "Providing
Callum with the helmet is the
best thing we could have done."
Posted by: Mr Angry, Somewhere over the Rainbow on 2:51pm Sat 10 May 08
[quote][bold]Flat Head Soozie[/bold] wrote:
Can I have one?[/quote] This is not a funny condition! Our son had a headband for 6 months to correct a Plagiocephaly deformation. Quite clearly Falthead Suzy already has a brain injury!
Flat Head Soozie wrote:
Can I have one?
This is not a funny condition! Our son had a headband for 6 months to correct a Plagiocephaly deformation. Quite clearly Falthead Suzy already has a brain injury!
Posted by: Louise, brighton on 2:04pm Mon 12 May 08
HI, my daughter has got the same problem.She has been going to physio since she was about 6 weeks old, as it caused her muscle to knot in her neck.
This has got better but the shape has got worse.The physio referred me to RSCH brighton to see a specialist but they refused to do anything,so i now go to Chelsea and Westminster hospital but they say i won't get a helmet on the NHS and i cant afford £2,000 to buy one.She is now 10 mths old and she needs one soon.I don't know what to do!
HI, my daughter has got the same problem.She has been going to physio since she was about 6 weeks old, as it caused her muscle to knot in her neck.
This has got better but the shape has got worse.The physio referred me to RSCH brighton to see a specialist but they refused to do anything,so i now go to Chelsea and Westminster hospital but they say i won't get a helmet on the NHS and i cant afford £2,000 to buy one.She is now 10 mths old and she needs one soon.I don't know what to do!
Posted by: Julie, Peacehaven on 11:58pm Tue 13 May 08
[quote][bold]Louise[/bold] wrote:
HI, my daughter has got the same problem.She has been going to physio since she was about 6 weeks old, as it caused her muscle to knot in her neck. This has got better but the shape has got worse.The physio referred me to RSCH brighton to see a specialist but they refused to do anything,so i now go to Chelsea and Westminster hospital but they say i won't get a helmet on the NHS and i cant afford £2,000 to buy one.She is now 10 mths old and she needs one soon.I don't know what to do![/quote] As Callum has finished his final treatment, perhaps your daughter could borrow his helmet ?
Louise wrote:
HI, my daughter has got the same problem.She has been going to physio since she was about 6 weeks old, as it caused her muscle to knot in her neck. This has got better but the shape has got worse.The physio referred me to RSCH brighton to see a specialist but they refused to do anything,so i now go to Chelsea and Westminster hospital but they say i won't get a helmet on the NHS and i cant afford £2,000 to buy one.She is now 10 mths old and she needs one soon.I don't know what to do!
As Callum has finished his final treatment, perhaps your daughter could borrow his helmet ?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
Print
Email this
Comment
