Hi I'm Ade and thanks for taking the time to read my story.

I was born at just 24 weeks gestation, that’s 4 months early! weighing only 1lb 9 oz – I was a twin and with such extreme prematurity was given only a 5% chance of survival, my twin sister Darcey lived for only 2 hrs, but against all the odds I survived.

At 4 days old I suffered a massive bilateral, intracranial brain hemorrhage causing major brain damage that should have killed me, I had major heart surgery, eye surgery and over 25 blood transfusions, I developed chronic lung disease from being ventilated for so long and I've had several life threatening infections - but I'm still here!

I eventually came home when I was 6 months old and they said I wouldn’t be able to do much! I’d probably be blind and deaf; I would be doubly incontinent; never walk or talk and probably never even communicate. I would have severe learning difficulties, never be able to hold my head up or control my body and I would never have a chance of independent life. They said I would be in and out of hospital with constant lung and breathing difficulties, and I would only be able to eat a pureed diet. I would need constant medication for abnormal brain activity that may develop into epilepsy; the list went on and on and on…..Now however, my life is very, very different and all thanks to my friend Linda Scotson’s dedication and the Advance Clinic's Team.

Mum and Dad had been told my brain damage was irreparable and extensive, and there was nothing we could do to change that, they were told they would have to manage my problems while I lived in pain. When I was 18 months old my problems were very obvious. I was in pain all the time my body twisted and contorted in constant spasms; I couldn’t lie flat on my back as my spine had already become deformed with muscle contractions. I couldn’t lie on my front as my chest bones stuck out and poked through my clothes. I couldn’t talk or cry but just made a kind of gurgling, choking noise all the time and I couldn’t look at anyone as my eyes wobbled and rolled around.

Then Mum and Dad came across the Advance web site. The text talked about improving my breathing and how that was the key to restoring my brains capacity to heal. They quickly booked and appointment for me and I began my treatment the following week.

How Advance has helped me!
I began to get better really quickly, – within 6 weeks the rasping, choking noise I made all the time began to disappear my chest deformity seemed to be flattening out and the whole of my body seemed to be uncurling, the pain was slowly going away.

By the time we returned to Advance 3 months later – I was beginning to make my first noises; my chest deformity was so much better that you couldn’t notice it through my clothes anymore, and now I was now able to look at my Mum and Dad for the first time.

Without taking up a whole book of my progress at The Advance Clinic the changes to me have been amazing. I'm 8 years old now and have been going to Advance for nearly 7 years.

• I do not need any medicine.
• I eat anything - but mainly chocolate - only joking!
• I'm completely continent – something we were told would never be possible.
• I passed my first English Speaking Board preliminary exam when I was 6 years old with Distinction! and passed my 3rd LAMDA Speech and Drama exam with Merit!
• My eyes are so much better now that with the help of contact lenses I have learnt to read.
• My learning is the same as other children of my age!!!
• My head control is 90% functional and I can independently drive a motorized wheelchair, - my Whizzy! and I get myself into all the usual trouble that a normal 8 year old boy does!
• I've only been admitted to hospital twice in 8 years with breathing difficulties and on each occasion, after talking to Linda, and Mum and Dad doing her exercises on me I've been discharged in super quick time to the disbelief of the medical staff.
• I laugh and smile a lot!

Given my ‘shopping list ‘ of problems all the medical professionals we meet say they can’t quite understand why I'm like I am, but I know why– and the best thing I'm still getting better!

How you can help me!
We visit Advance every 3 months and Dad does my exercised every morning. I've been going to Advance for 7 years now and can do things I never thought I would. I can lay still - easy for you but something I should never have been able to do.
Linda and the Advance Centre have given me my life back – given my brain and body the chance no one else thought was possible. Thank you Linda.

Your Donation will let me continue my treatment at Advance so I can keep getting better like no one thought I would - so please dig deep and donate now.

Thank you.

You may find the following links interesting.

www.scotsontechnique.com - the clinics site.
An independant study by Bradford University that Aiden was part of.
Article on Linda's Son Doran – the inspiration behind her research.