illiam was born healthy in Feb 2009 and developed normally until the day in April 2010 when he had a cardiac arrest whilst in hospital for an upper airway infection. He lost his ability to do everything. Eventually he was able to go back to his Nottinghamshire home and ever since his family has worked relentlessly to help him develop.
What William has been diagnosed with is Athetoid Cerebral Palsy. Doctors told William he would never walk because he had no head control, he gained it. Then the experts said he would not walk because he could not sit up, William can now sit up. He has also completely recovered his sight. William can walk in a specialised walker for short distances and can cruise on furniture independently, our long term aim with him is to try to help him walk unaided. From a developmental perspective he’s doing well, he cannot talk but communicates in his own ways to get what he wants. William will always have a brain injury but is very happy and continues to push his boundaries.
Williams journey to be able to walk and talk is a long one that requires
specialist equipment, therapy, time and determination. Williams has the determination, in fact it is the word most used to describe him by almost everyone who meets him. It is the necessary finances to support his drive that are required; with the NHS unable to source a large portion of the majority of therapies and equipment for disabled children an ultra runner has stepped up to plate and raise the required funds. All funds raised through Williams Trust go directly to therapy and equipment costs that are unobtainable through the NHS and not to everyday living costs.
Dale ‘Ronnie’ Staton is no stranger to challenges that are unimaginable for most of us. He has already completed three 100 mile runs recently. They, however, will simply be warm ups compared to his latest endeavour, inspired by Retford toddler William Stones’s battle against cerebral palsy that has so far robbed him of his ability to walk unaided and talk, a 200 mile non stop Coast to Coast run.
“It is not a realistic goal – I have no right to even attempt it. It is approximately 200 miles and I am already having cold sweats... I am doing this for me too but to fund treatment that may enable William to walk unaided is the real focus that will pull me to Robin Hood’s Bay when I feel I am down and out.”
A firm date has yet to be fixed but June 2013 has been pencilled in, meaning that Ronnie will spend the next nine months physically and mentally preparing for the run of a lifetime. Getting up every day at 4am he will train at his work place, Outklass Fitness in East Drayton, where the whole team has offered their support and will be working with William over the coming months.
And to help him achieve his training goals, William’s dad Dave will ferry Ronnie around so he can focus entirely on the task in hand.
“It’s hard to put into words what Ronnie’s doing, put simply, it is the grandest, biggest gesture anyone has ever done for us... The challenge is colossal and for Ronnie – someone I don’t know that well – to take nine months out of his life to do this is just amazing.”
Dave, Williams father considers his son to be an inspiration, drawing on the strength he has seen in William who is fighting to overcome his difficulty with a smile on his face and a determination in his heart.
The money raised from Ronnie’s challenge will go towards William’s ongoing treatment which has so far helped him stand up and walk in a specialised walker. You can donate to his cause through this link.
You can follow Ronnie’s arduous training journey through monthly updates in your Retford Times and via his blog ‘Forward Motion’.
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