OPERATION ELLIOT
Bournemouth Bobcats join campaign to fund life-changing operation for six-year-old Southbourne boy Elliot.
A Southbourne family has embarked on a huge challenge to fund a £66,000 life-changing operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital for their six-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy.
Elliot Gower has been assessed as a suitable candidate for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), a pioneering operation which will make it easier for him to walk and give him much more independence as he gets older. The NHS does not currently fund this operation, despite impressive success rates in the U.K. and the U.S.
So Elliot’s family and friends launched Operation Elliot earlier this month and have already raised over £2,400, largely through social media. They have appealed for people to organise their own events to help them reach the target.
This week the family was thrilled to hear that the players and coaching staff at Bournemouth University Bobcats’ American Football Team have decided to support them this season with numerous fundraising events.
Elliot’s mum Morwenna said: “We need all the help we can get to raise this money for Elliot, so we were very excited when the Bobcats contacted us.
“Elliot loves sport – his most prized possession is the trophy he won when he beat his teacher at a wheelchair race on sports day, so he’s looking forward to tossing the coin for the first Bobcats game of the season. He knows it’s an important job.”
The Bobcats’ first fundraising event will see the team trying to lift the equivalent of a plane which is very relevant as Elliot wants to be a pilot (as well as a fireman).
For more information or to donate please visit www.operationelliot.org, our Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/OperationElliot and follow Elliot’s progress on Twitter @SDRforElliot
The Bobcats
Elliot will be tossing the coin for the Bobcats at 2pm on 24th November at Chapel Gate Sports Club. Bournemouth is now home to a third Bobcats American Football team. With the Adult, Junior and now the new Bournemouth University team, the future of American Football in the town is looking very good. The Bournemouth University Bobcats, formed in 2012 are currently in the associate process of entering the BUAFL/BUCS league. The team was formed by a core of students and a relatively small coaching staff. They have games throughout the 2013 season and look to enter the BUCS league in 2014.
Elliot and SDR
Elliot has spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and severe Haemophilia A. He currently walks very short distances with walking sticks and manages without his wheelchair at home. As Elliot is growing his legs are becoming less able to support his bodyweight. As a result Elliot is becoming less mobile, less independent and more reliant on his wheelchair.
Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is a neurosurgical procedure aimed at reducing spasticity (tight and stiff muscle tone) in the lower limbs. It is most commonly used for children with spastic diplegia (two limbs affected) which accounts for 25-30% of children born with cerebral palsy. SDR aims to:achieve a long-term reduction in spasticity; improve function and mobility; increase independence; increase range of motion and improve positioning.
Currently Elliot is doing preparatory physiotherapy at a cost of £6,300. The operation will cost £30,000 and after 4 weeks in hospital Elliot will come home to a physiotherapy rehab programme lasting two years and costing approximately another £30,000.
