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Living life her way: Helen’s story
This World Cerebral Palsy Day, we’re celebrating Helen, a much-loved...
Rhiannon Cunningham
Ask most six-year-olds, and their primary goal is to run the fastest, jump the highest or swing the furthest! For Rocky Bay customer Rhiannon, these everyday playground activities come with unique challenges, meaning keeping up with her friends is more difficult.
Rhiannon has been supported by Rocky Bay since she was around two years old, following her diagnosis of hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a neurological impairment primarily affecting the arm, leg, and torso on one side of the body. She has been working closely with Advanced Clinician Physiotherapist, Anna Smith.
“Rhiannon can walk safely, but as she tries to move faster or becomes distracted, she can trip more easily and lose her balance,” Anna said. “She’s got a significant leg length difference and muscle tone challenges that affect her gait.”
Anna explained how although it could be upsetting for Rhiannon, she mostly just got back up and kept going. However, those challenges can impact her ability to participate confidently with the world around her.
The story continues...
The value of Telethon funding
Today, one of the tools helping Rhiannon achieve those goals is a specialised rehabilitation treadmill funded through the generosity of Telethon. According to Anna, the equipment is helping children like Rhiannon safely develop the skills they need both inside and outside the therapy room.
“We’re using the treadmill to increase the walking speed, challenging her to move quickly in a safe environment,” Anna said. “We can then transfer these new skills into playgrounds, school and community settings. We’ve got a nice, grassed area out the back at Gosnells, which is a good space for her to practice.”
Importantly, the therapy doesn’t just focus on physical skills, but cognitive too, which supports her balance and the ability to think and do more than one thing at once.
“We are using the controlled environment created by the treadmill to prompt Rhiannon to think about where her feet are going and how she moves her body to challenge her motor planning (the brain’s ability to organise, plan and execute a new or unpractised physical movement),” Anna said. “We also challenge her by adding in distractions while she walks, while maintaining a safe environment to practice.”
How we helped
The new treadmill replaced an older machine that no longer met the growing needs of therapists and their customers.
Unlike standard treadmills, the specialised rehabilitation equipment can start at just 0.2 kilometres per hour, making it suitable for children and adults who are learning or relearning walking skills or gait training.
It also features adjustable hand supports and foot placement markers so that customers can focus on one side at a time, with the ability to support activities such as backwards walking and side stepping.
Another benefit to the treadmill is its capacity to integrate with additional rehabilitation technology in the future.
A therapy room favourite
The treadmill has become a favourite feature of many therapy sessions.
“I get lots of requests to use the treadmill, it’s definitely a point of motivation!” said Anna.
And it’s not just Rhiannon who enjoys a treadmill session – her favourite doll comes along too!
“The doll changes names most sessions,” Anna laughed. “I think it was Twinkle in the last session.”
Moments like these help make therapy engaging and enjoyable while supporting important developmental goals.
Bringing specialist therapy closer to families
For Anna, the impact of Telethon funding is visible every day. She says one of the greatest benefits of funding like Telethon’s is that it helps create a more accessible community. Rather than travelling between multiple providers, families can access support in one place, while therapists help children apply their skills at home, at school and in the community.
And for children like Rhiannon, those opportunities translate into something simple but with huge impact: every step she takes on the treadmill is helping prepare her for the moments that matter most to her – running in the playground and catching her buddies!
A few words
“Having access within Rocky Bay’s community-based services means therapists can directly connect the skills being developed through equipment-based therapy with real-world participation goals.”
- Anna Smith, Advanced Clinician Physiotherapist
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