Jasper Woodbridge, 3, received this life-changing walker from Variety.
By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG North three-year-old Jasper Woodbridge recently took his first steps.
Variety – The Children’s Charity provided him with a walker and is now looking for support to help other children in need.
Jasper has suffered from epilepsy since he was six weeks old and at age two was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, leaving him unable to sit, stand or walk unassisted.
He was confined to a wheelchair until Variety lent a hand.
“Before we received the walker, to get Jasper on his feet I would have to lift him and hold him up,” his mother Mandy said.
“At the most he was only spending a few minutes each time on his feet.
“Since Variety funded the walker, it’s given Jasper a whole new way of looking at the world.”
The $12,000 device supports Jasper while he’s on his feet, which is now for up to 30 minutes a couple of times a day.
He still needs help to move his legs but Mandy said it had really opened the world around him.
“Before we received the stander Jasper had never even been able to stand outside on our driveway,” she said.
“Now he not only stands outside the house, but with the help of the stander he can do so in the park and on other outings.”
Mandy said Jasper’s future was looking much brighter and she was hopeful he’d someday be able to walk – and maybe even run – unaided.
Variety is looking for support to help other kids like Jasper through its Cappuccino for a Cause campaign in Gloria Jeans coffee houses throughout October, which it hopes will raise $170,000.
The charity receives about 200 appeal requests each year but can currently only fund 120.
It will receive 50 cents from every shortbread heart cookie purchase and $2 from each travel cup sold this month, as well as 50 cents from every cappuccino sold on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 October.
