Paralysis no barrier to determined youngster

[Guest guest]

Paralysis no barrier to determined youngster

By Hayden Donnell - North Shore Times | Tuesday, 13 May 2008

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/4523607a22400.html

The 10-year-old Mairangi Bay girl's hands, forearms, feet and lower

legs are slowly being paralysed by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

She doesn't let her condition hold her back or dampen her enthusiasm

for making every day accomplishments.

Her lack of movement couldn't stop her doing everything from rock

climbing to abseiling at an outdoor pursuit course in the Waikato.

" I just adapt and I make ways that I can do things, " she says.

" If I wasn't enthusiastic then I wouldn't do anything much. I like to

say I can do things. "

Amy and her dad Ian Bonnalack have just come back from the Muscular

Dystrophy Youth Course at Pirongia Forest Park Lodge.

There they got the opportunity to abseil, tour Waitomo caves and go

on the flying fox and flying kiwi rides.

A team of four instructors rigged up each event so the five children

at the camp could take part in their wheelchairs.

Though at first she was scared of taking part in the activities, Amy

took the plunge and inspired other children to do so too.

" I think the other kids saw Amy doing it and thought `if a girl can

do it, I can', " says Mr Bonnalack.

The camp has helped give Amy confidence in facing an uncertain future.

Doctors don't know how much worse her condition will get, but she

knows it may one day entirely stop her walking and using her hands.

Amy is realistic about her condition, but optimistic about finding

ways of dealing with it.

" It's gotten worse as I've gotten older, but I always find new ways

of doing things. "

One thing she knows is if she gets invited to another camp, she'll

definitely be going.

" It's a chance for us kids in wheelchairs to be together and talk

about it.

" It's the same for the parents, " says Mr Bonnalack. " It's a chance to

meet each other and ask how to handle various challenges. "

Napier charity Back Up New Zealand ran the youth course at Pirongia.

It runs camps and other events aimed at giving disabled people the

same opportunities as able bodied people.

The other four children at Amy's camp had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

which causes progressive muscle weakness and carries a life

expectancy of about 20.