Vulnerable boy finds ways to keep lockdown spirits up

Ashton 'AJ' McPhee, 7, kept his spirits high with singing in dancing despite the latest lockdown hitting the family "harder".

The seven-year-old from Paisley was forced to shield due to his past of chronic lung disease.

His mum Kerry, 37, said: "I definitely think this lockdown has been harder on all of us this time round.

"I think many people thought we were over the worst of it so it's been a huge setback - this coupled with winter and has made for a bit of a depressing time."

Inspirational youngster Ashton McPhee with cerebral palsy lifts spirits by singing and dancing through lockdown

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Both Kerry and her partner were unable to work as as front-line emergency workers for the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland to keep Ashton safe.

They also stopped all support from external carers to limit any chance of him getting the virus.

She said: “We've done lots of sensory play, virtual music classes with friends with singing and dancing which has really lifted all of our spirits.

"We’ve also started doing an online morning group every weekday with Ashton's best friends via Zoom."

Despite being forced to shield, these session helped him stay close to his friends.

"Every morning, Ashton and his friends sing the ‘Hello Song’, they use Makaton to sign good morning to each other, talk about the days of the week, the weather and how they are feeling. To finish, they then listen to a story and sing the ‘Goodbye Song’," Kerry said.

AJ has been able to enjoy these activities with the help of a three-in-one standing frame, the Multistander, without which he would "have spent the best part of a year sitting".

Kerry added: “When Ashton went back to school after the first lockdown restrictions lifted, his physiotherapist told us how delighted she was that Ashton hadn't developed any postural problems despite not having access to his usual physical therapy resources for so long.

"The Multistander has definitely played a huge role in this.

"Having this amazing piece of equipment at home means it has continued to play a big part in his daily physiotherapy.

“Standing allows him to view things from a different perspective and lets him get involved. He can look out the window and watch the cars go by, he can stand at the fish tank to feed his goldfish, he can stand at the kitchen counter to help bake cakes."

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The "invaluable" equipment was provided by postural support specialist Jiraffe.

Director Holly Jenkins said: "Ashton is such an inspirational young boy, and I’m sure there is something we could all learn from the way he and his family have remained positive this past year despite the many challenges involved.

"Knowing that the help and support we provided has allowed Ashton to carry on having fun and get the most out of life is incredibly heart-warming news for all of our team."