Wrexham girl, 2, with muscle growth problem is enjoying new lease of life

Lacey Carnwath suffers from weak muscles and although undiagnosed with any specific condition the two-year-old’s development has been limited.

The youngster, from Rhostyllen, was unable to crawl, stand or walk properly and was also having problems feeding.

Hayley and Mark Carnwath donate more than ££4,000 to the Mobility Centre in Oswestry after their daughter Lacey, two, was given life-changing therapy by the centre

But her mum, Hayley Carnwath, discovered by chance the work of the Gobowen-based Movement Centre where therapists work with disabled children who have problems with movement control.

The centre’s specialised ‘Targeted Training’ has made a dramatic impact on little Lacey’s activity. A cornerstone of its evidence-based therapeutic approach is the provision of a bespoke frame that helps children whose movement is restricted to build up strength in specific muscle groups.

Hayley explained: “Lacey has weak muscles and because of this she doesn’t sit, stand or walk. But the standing frame supports her lower body and has meant she can just work on strengthening smaller areas of her torso at a time. The Movement Centre specialises in children with cerebral palsy. Lacey is undiagnosed despite having every test under the sun.

Curtis Langey from the Mobility Centre in Oswestry, Hayley and Mark Carnwath with their daughter Lacey, two, and the cheque for £4194.10

“When she is strapped into the frame she gets to work her muscles from neck to breast bone. We go back to the centre every two months and the aim is to slowly lower the frame as Lacey becomes stronger. The results the charity has from Target Training are excellent and Lacey has grown three centimetres and her neck muscles have developed to such an extent that her eating is 100 per cent better.”

Hayley’s frame costs £6,500, but the Carnwath family has to fund half of the costs - the rest are covered by a grant - and the frame will need replacing as the youngster grows.

Her mother launched a fundraising campaign with the showpiece event being a sell-out auction and disco night at Cefn Druids Football Club. Local firms that helped out with auction items included Lion Quays and Airbus, who provided a VIP tour, while the family were sent two signed Wrexham football shirts.

Lacey Carnwath, two, in the specially made rig that helps her to stand

Hayley also set up a Just Giving page and customers at the hairdressing salon she owns, Maypole Hair Gallery in Cefn Mawr, rallied around with raffle prizes.

The auction alone raised £1,300 swelling the fundraising coffers to over £4,000.

“We have totally exceeded our expectations with what we raised,” added Hayley. “We wanted to do it not only to raise money for Lacey’s frames but to raise awareness of this amazing charity.

“I’d never heard of their work even though Lacey was having general physiotherapy. We only found out about it through Lacey’s godmother’s mother-in-law going to a woman’s club at which The Movement Centre was giving a talk about children with muscle needs. If people don’t know these services are there then they won’t use them.”

The Movement Centre is based in premises at Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt District Orthopedic Hospital. Its mission statement states its aim is to “maximise the potential of children’s movement control through Targeted Training so they can gain essential functional skills which can make them far more independent”.

It pledges its services can completely change children’s lives - but as a charity it needs to raise vital funds every year in order to deliver them to as many children as possible.