27 Apr Children’s book sales will help 10-year-old Eric get the support he needs

Ten years ago Eric Abela was born three months premature, he spent the first four and a half months of his fragile life in intensive care.

Eric was born with Mowat-Wilson Syndrome and one of the effects of this syndrome is severe visual impairment. Eric would not be able to read a book or view a website, see a flower bloom, enjoy a cartoon on television or see the faces of his parents, who love him more than life itself.  

Eric is just one of the dozens of children who have benefited from the unique and specialised therapy that the Freddie Farmer Physiotherapy Centre provides. He was last at the Bromley Centre in April 2017 for 2-weeks of intensive physiotherapy to work on standing, balance and walking.

He went in the LokoHelp every day starting slow with intervals but by the end could tolerate 30 minutes. He wore a Therasuit in the Spider and managed to reduce his support from 8 bungees to 4 bungees, and by the end of the 2 weeks in the mobile hoist over the mini treadmill, Eric was able to walk without harness support.

Eric's parents are doing everything they can to ensure that one day something can be done to help him see the world the way so many of us do. 

His Dad, Brian, has written a book called The Ponds of Wonder aimed at 8 – 12-year-olds and all the money raised from the sale of it will go towards Eric’s therapy.

Visit The Ponds of Wonder website.