A BRAVE Bromsgrove girl who defied the odds after being told she was unlikely to walk or talk has taken to the catwalk for a fund-raising fashion show at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Cara Sandford-Ward, 11, had a congenital stroke in the womb or during birth and was diagnosed with Right Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.
She began physiotherapy and eventually had an MRI which laid out the extent of the damage the stroke had caused.
Despite this, Cara showed resilience when seeing her physiotherapists, occupational therapists, consultant plastic surgeon Andrea Jester and her hand and upper limb clinic.
She defied the odds by not only being able to talk, but walk too, albeit with limited vocabulary, and only short distances.
Ms Jester teamed up with the School of Fashion at South and City College Birmingham to create the fashion show, with adaptive clothing that the students and patients had designed together for people with physical disabilities.
This helped to uplift and empower her patients and raise awareness of the need for more adaptive clothing within the fashion community.
Cara’s mum Amy said: “Being involved in the fashion show has done wonders for Cara’s confidence.
“She’s at that age now where she really notices her differences and clothes play a big part in a young girl’s life, so I wholeheartedly support what Ms Jester and the college are doing.”
After having to adapt Cara’s clothing herself the majority of the time, Amy added: “I look forward to the day when I could simply walk into a shop and buy something read-made for her.”
Carmen Burkett, lecturer in fashion and textiles, said: “With students of all levels supporting the fashion show, it’s been a great experience for all our learners, but especially the ones just starting their journey in fashion.”
Ms Jester said she cared for patients with a range of disabilities and each one came with a unique set of challenges when it came to clothing.
“As the world becomes more and more inclusive, we must not forget about fashion industry and the massive impact having good clothes, that fit, has on disabled people.”
Funds raised from the ticket sales and charity raffle at this fun and innovative event went to supporting the work of the Hand and Reconstructive Limb Department at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
