Cheshire helps child

By THOMAS DILU
FIVE-year-old cerebral palsy (CP) sufferer Raynard Nikis Jr is adapting to his condition and was been assisted by the Cheshire Disability Services (CDS) PNG with a stroller.
Father Raynard Nikis Senior said: “The biggest hope is for our son to fully recover and be like other children who are able to walk, talk and be educated.”
Raynard Senior and his family travelled from Bougainville to the National Capital District hoping to give Raynard Jr the treatment and help he needs to be able to walk again.
Raynard Jr was diagnosed with complications from Tuberculosis (TB) Meningitis when he was just nine months leading to his present condition.
“He is now with cerebral palsy which is a complication of the TB Meningitis,” Nikis said.
According to the Centres for Diseases Control (CDC) Prevention website, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.
CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.
“Raynard Jr developed signs of the condition and was diagnosed with TB Meningitis at the Buka Hospital in 2020.
Unfortunately, the diagnosed disease was at an advanced stage, he already had four seizures because of affected brain cells especially with motor control part,” Nikis said.
“There’s a lot of children with this similar need as Raynard but are not fortunate enough to come out seeking help.”
“Seeing their son struggle everyday with the challenges which included not being able to eat with assistance or walk, sit or crawl gave parents Raynard Snr and wife Hildegard Kaki the determination to do everything in their power to help him,” Nikis said.
According to the couple, they had no knowledge of where to go or who to see for help and searched for any centre or service that could give him the treatment he needed and decided to come to NCD.
Raynard Jr’s mother Hildegard, found out that the Cheshire
disability services (CDS) in Port Moresby was the one place in the country where Raynard Jr could get some treatment for his condition.
“We were fortunate to make use of our leave fares that the Bougainville Government has provided for my family.
“We managed to meet our babysitter’s airfares for an amount of K2,600, and other living expenses while in Pom was K10,000,” she said.
She added that his contingent comprised five members, including him and his wife, which cost K16,000 on airfares alone.
With the assistance received from CDS, the Raynard’s two-week stint improved his outlook and condition along with the donation of a stroller to help him to walk and exercise his legs and allow him to move more freely and be more independent.
“For the physiotherapist you have to have the heart to provide this service and you have to be creative and innovative, if there’s no equipment to assist those people with special needs,” Hildegard said.
“We are grateful that CDS has donated a stroller for Raynard.
We think CDS can help with the best physiotherapy service in the country,” Hildegard said.
Raynard Jnr and his family returned to Buka with the hope that Bougainville would soon have the services and professionals on the island to treat CP sufferers and others who needed specialised care.
“We would like to get our son overseas for intense physiotherapy rehabilitation but we don’t have the financial capacity to do so.
“I appeal to the Government to assist,” she said.
CDS PNG said it was pleased to have been able to offer assistance to Raynard Jr.