Kids' spinal rehab centre opens in Crawley

A specialist centre offering ground-breaking treatments to children living with paralysis has officially opened.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Apr 2018, 15:30 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 02:50 BST
Matthew Reeve high-fiving Jasper, 5, who has greatly benefitted from treatment at NeurokinexMatthew Reeve high-fiving Jasper, 5, who has greatly benefitted from treatment at Neurokinex
Matthew Reeve high-fiving Jasper, 5, who has greatly benefitted from treatment at Neurokinex

The Neurokinex Kids rehabilitation facility based at Gatwick will provide children in the UK with spinal cord injuries with cutting edge therapies and activity-based treatment to help make recovery previously thought impossible.

It will be run by Neurokinex, a charity affiliated with the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve’s foundation and will offer rehabilitation programmes not available anywhere else in the UK or Europe.

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A horse riding accident in 1995 left Christopher Reeve paralysed from the neck down nine years before his death, and his eldest son Matthew Reeve will be on hand to celebrate the launch of Neurokinex Kids.

Speaking ahead of the launch on Thursday, April 12, Matthew, vice chairman of International Development for the Reeve Foundation, said: “Since its inception, the goal of the NeuroRecovery Network has always been to develop cutting-edge treatments so that individuals living with paralysis could recover functions once thought to be lost.

“This partnership with Neurokinex is the Reeve Foundation’s first endeavour to establish a global network of rehabilitation facilities united under a common protocol.

“Every NRN participant has experienced significant improvements ranging from enhanced physical health and quality of life to standing and even stepping.”

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“We look forward to hearing more success stories from this Gatwick facility and we’re confident that more and more people living with paralysis will continue to benefit from the NRN’s approach to improved care, recovery, and rehabilitation.”

It will treat children who have been injured and those born with conditions relating to spinal problems.

Youngsters living with paralysis will benefit from unique and carefully crafted exercises aided by skilled therapists which will stimulate the entire nervous and musculoskeletal systems.

Around 40,000 people in the UK is said to be living with a spinal cord injury and one in 400 babies is born with Cerebral Palsy.