Imagine | Winter 2025
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Winter 2025 A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Winter 2025
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
KIT’S STORY
Adapted adventures: Embracing life with Cerebral Palsy
Kit has quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy after mistakes were made during his birth. He has no independent mobility and has little control over his body. Kit’s unable to sit unaided and uses a communication aid for talking.
His family’s can-do attitude has opened a world of possibility for adventure loving Kit, and a successful claim for compensation has given them financial freedom so he can thrive.
Kit’s family say, “We’ve made it our mission to ensure Kit’s life is exceptional in every way. Part of this is our ongoing determination and passion to find a solution for every challenge.”
Kit’s education
Kit attends mainstream school and he’s currently in year 11. He’s leaving school in April to embark on an Independent Learning Programme (ILP), supported by a private teacher. The ILP will further his education and teach him independent living skills. Kit and his parents are excited for this next transition.
Football
An avid sports fan, Kit plays football for a disability football team. He’s also a season ticket holder at Manchester City and goes to all their home games. Matchdays fuel his passion and give him the opportunity to be in on the action, while spending quality time with family and friends.
Boxing
Jo’s keen to ensure that Kit’s home timetable includes PE, like it does at school. Instead of having physiotherapy, Jo found a personal trainer, Louie, whose brother also has Cerebral Palsy. Jo says, “I met him and instantly knew he would be perfect for the role of Kit’s PT. Louie’s a wonderful communicator having grown up with disability in his own household. It’s magic to see them training together.”
Louie’s a great role model for Kit, someone he can look up to and admire. They box together on a Friday afternoon. Kit stands in his Innowalk and uses boxing gloves that Jo adapted. The physical activity elevates Kit’s heart rate, which is important for his overall health and wellbeing, and it’s an activity he loves.
Kit ready for boxing
Kit ready for boxing
Football
An avid sports fan, Kit plays football for a disability football team. He’s also a season ticket holder at Manchester City and goes to all their home games. Matchdays fuel his passion and give him the opportunity to be in on the action, while spending quality time with family and friends.
Boxing
Jo’s keen to ensure that Kit’s home timetable includes PE, like it does at school. Instead of having physiotherapy, Jo found a personal trainer, Louie, whose brother also has Cerebral Palsy. Jo says, “I met him and instantly knew he would be perfect for the role of Kit’s PT. Louie’s a wonderful communicator having grown up with disability in his own household. It’s magic to see them training together.”
Louie’s a great role model for Kit, someone he can look up to and admire. They box together on a Friday afternoon. Kit stands in his Innowalk and uses boxing gloves that Jo adapted. The physical activity elevates Kit’s heart rate, which is important for his overall health and wellbeing, and it’s an activity he loves.
Skiing
Kit’s parents have skied since childhood. For their first family ski holiday with Kit, they went to La Plagne in France, which is Europe’s most accessible ski area. Jo says, “The holiday was a great success. It’s the most brilliant activity we’ve ever done as a family. We all enjoyed it together, and seeing Kit loving the speed and freedom of skiing in the mountains, it was truly wonderful.”
“It is insane, but it takes effort and energy and a lot of planning – you have to climb a mountain to appreciate the view.” says Jo. Kit was fitted for an adapted sit-ski, which gave him reassurance because he was safe and comfortable. Kit’s able to lean into and assist the turns, and he’s fully immersed in the experience.
When it comes to adaptations, Jo believes the key is thinking outside the box. The comfort factor is very important because Kit can’t move or tweak his clothing and keeping him warm is essential at altitude. Kit wore merino wool and lots of layers, as well as high-quality, adapted gloves. Heated liners in his ski boots kept his feet warm.
You must prioritise family, because when the whole family is thriving, the disabled child or young adult will also flourish.
Jo, Kit’s mother
Surfing
Keen to find activities Kit and his brother Oliver can enjoy together, Jo was curious to try surfing. She says, “I had no idea how it was going to work for someone with Kit’s level of disability. But I thought, let’s be bold, let’s book it.”
The family chose Devon for the adapted surf school. Kit sat in a special seat on the board, which was padded for support, but he wasn’t strapped in for safety reasons. Going out with a team of five experienced volunteers gave the family reassurance that Kit would be looked after in the water. Jo remembers, “It was a blue sky, sunny day. The beach was busy. The surf was high. It couldn’t have been better conditions. And Kit did fall out. But he came up laughing and it was great to let him experience that.”
Oliver had a surf lesson alongside Kit and the moment they were both surfing together, Kit coming in on his board and Oliver standing up, Jo says was, “One of those truly key moments where, as a parent, I stand there and just take it all in and think, wow, this is special.”
Kit catching the waves
Surfing
Keen to find activities Kit and his brother Oliver can enjoy together, Jo was curious to try surfing. She says, “I had no idea how it was going to work for someone with Kit’s level of disability. But I thought, let’s be bold, let’s book it.”
The family chose Devon for the adapted surf school. Kit sat in a special seat on the board, which was padded for support, but he wasn’t strapped in for safety reasons. Going out with a team of five experienced volunteers gave the family reassurance that Kit would be looked after in the water. Jo remembers, “It was a blue sky, sunny day. The beach was busy. The surf was high. It couldn’t have been better conditions. And Kit did fall out. But he came up laughing and it was great to let him experience that.”
Oliver had a surf lesson alongside Kit and the moment they were both surfing together, Kit coming in on his board and Oliver standing up, Jo says was, “One of those truly key moments where, as a parent, I stand there and just take it all in and think, wow, this is special.”
Kit catching the waves
Kit’s an inspiration for people with Cerebral Palsy and we can’t wait to see what he conquers next.
A crucial part of enabling Kit to enjoy a wide variety of experiences with his family, is finding the right accommodation. Recognising that their ability to compromise and make a space work for them is enabled by their support network, they know that some people just can’t make a space work if it doesn’t have the equipment they need.
Unable to find fully accessible properties, they decided to create one of their own in London, known as AbleStay.
The family has drawn on their knowledge and lived experience of Kit’s needs to provide London’s first fully accessible holiday home. It’s fully wheelchair accessible and also has a ceiling hoist, profiling bed and fully accessible bathroom.
AbleStay offers ten, fully funded, charitable stays a year to benefit families for whom adapted holidays are out of reach financially. Jo feels that it’s a great opportunity to give something back to the community.
A crucial part of enabling Kit to enjoy a wide variety of experiences with his family, is finding the right accommodation. Recognising that their ability to compromise and make a space work for them is enabled by their support network, they know that some people just can’t make a space work if it doesn’t have the equipment they need.
Unable to find fully accessible properties, they decided to create one of their own in London, known as AbleStay.
The family has drawn on their knowledge and lived experience of Kit’s needs to provide London’s first fully accessible holiday home. It’s fully wheelchair accessible and also has a ceiling hoist, profiling bed and fully accessible bathroom.
AbleStay offers ten, fully funded, charitable stays a year to benefit families for whom adapted holidays are out of reach financially. Jo feels that it’s a great opportunity to give something back to the community.
Where to find support
Kit’s family are driven to include Kit in all aspects of family life. They get a lot of inspiration, support and ideas from Facebook groups, including many that Jo runs herself. It’s a place to share ideas and information from people who’ve found solutions and want to benefit others. Jo says, “I get my inspiration from people I see on social media. I just make things happen and that’s what the claim has enabled us to do.”
You can find out more about AbleStay and the Facebook Groups Jo runs on their website.
Where to find support
Kit’s family are driven to include Kit in all aspects of family life. They get a lot of inspiration, support and ideas from Facebook groups, including many that Jo runs herself. It’s a place to share ideas and information from people who’ve found solutions and want to benefit others. Jo says, “I get my inspiration from people I see on social media. I just make things happen and that’s what the claim has enabled us to do.”
You can find out more about AbleStay and the Facebook Groups Joanne runs on their website.
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