Just wanted to say Thanks sooo much to all of our FB friends who took the time to watch Sofias latest video! I didnt expect such an amazing response! (78 likes and comments WOW!) At the end of that day, this showed Sofia walking with a natural gait!! Not running or breaking world records, but nevertheless a milestone that was worth celebrating! We feel quite blessed to have your moral support and feel humbled that so many of you are genuinely interested in following Sofias journey! So much so that I felt compelled to write something more!! So please forgive me if this post is a little long-winded! (Please dont feel obliged to read it all!!) Walking normally, is something that we all take for granted!! Obviously! But for Sofia and her many amputee peers, something as simple as this is a constant challenge! Growth spurts mean adjustments need to be made, sockets recasted, prostheses lengthened, new feet, etc etc Its a constantly moving target! As soon as it seems all is perfect, a new challenge is thrown into the mix! So to see her walking so well, with such a natural gait, was a very special moment for us! Hence my sharing of this video. And dont get me started on shoe shopping - For most young girls it is easy....cute shoes...right size...job done! For Sofia, she has to compromise all the time due to her splint! We have to buy based on what fits, not what she likes! But, never a grumble, complaint or whinge! She just accepts her situation. (Thankfully Converse and Doc Martens are her fav shoes and tend to accommodate her challenges beautifully!) #rockchick We dont mind sharing this, as you probably realise Sofia is not a Woe is me type of person, but, the last few weeks have actually been pretty tough for her! Although you wouldnt think so with that smile and positive energy she exudes on a daily basis! She started to experience a lot of pain in the knee of her good leg, and we feared the worst! This became evident after a wee fall at school! In typical Sofia stylee, she was trying to beat her best time on the schools trim trail, which involves climbing across tyres, rope swings, and jumping between tree trunk posts! Trying to suggest to Sofia that she didnt do this was not an option! The fall, highlighted some underlying issues with her knee! So, Sofia has been wheelchair bound for a week or so! Not something that she relishes! Meningococcal septicaemia is such a cruel disease, that, there was a risk of growth plate damage and deformity in this leg. Now, she is by no means out of the woods, but, after an emergency visit to Manchester Childrens Hospital, with her awesome consultant Dr Naomi Davies, and several investigations we were relieved to discover that her knee is almost perfect, orthopaedically speaking!!! A few soft tissue issues which will require physio etc, but, in the short term, this was great news! Sofias biggest concern was that she would have to cut back on the sport and running, and god forbid, cancel her charity runs in 2015! Thankfully Dr Naomis suggestion was more, more, more! A few months back Sofias athletics group in Blackpool ceased to exist, as a result, she has not been as active as she usually is, which has caused these issues. We are currently in the process of finding her a new athletics club, ideally with someone who understands young amputees, not an easy task as you can imagine!! Sofias goals are simple....we are not talking Paralympic Gold or World Records here, just, running, jumping, keeping fit and enjoying sport and life!! Along with raising funds for charity and making people aware of Meningitis and Septicaemia. Nowt wrong with that! We know so well that there are so many people out there who have had very different outcomes from this bastard disease. The Crockatts are comparatively lucky! For one, we still have Sofia!! Two, she has 2 limbs that function perfectly! Thanks once again for your moral support guys! It genuinely means the world to us! Much love and respect Nick, Karen, Dom and of course SonicSofia xxxx
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 20:18:06 +0000