A family has praised a partnership between The Archie Foundation and Erin’s Chair after their two-year-old daughter benefitted from specialist seating following surgery for hip dysplasia.
Ria Johnston was diagnosed at birth with hip dysplasia, a condition where the bones of the hip do not fit together as they should. She required surgery, which left her in a spica cast, which wraps around the hips and extends down one or both legs, holding them still so the bones can heal in the right position.
Her mum, Sarah, said: “When the doctors first told us that Ria had hip dysplasia, I didn’t know anything about the condition or how it would impact her life. After a bit of research, I realised that some alterations to our home would be required to support her after her hip surgery. But I didn’t even know where to start looking for such specialist equipment.”
NHS staff at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH) then informed Sarah that, through Archie, the family would receive a spica chair from Erin’s Chair. Designed specifically for children wearing a hip spica cast, the chair gives them a safe and comfortable way to sit upright, eat and play while their movement is restricted.
“Having the spica chair provided by Archie and Erin’s Chair made a real difference to Ria during the three months she was in a cast,” said Sarah. “The chair meant that she was able to sit up and be in a position that wasn’t lying down, as she wasn’t able to move or put weight on her legs and feet.
“As the chair also had a table attachment, Ria had somewhere to eat her food and play with her two brothers, Jay and Ruari. It also allowed us to get on with household tasks without having to constantly supervise her.”
Spica chairs are not routinely supplied by the NHS, meaning families can otherwise be faced with finding suitable equipment themselves or adapting furniture at home.
Through its partnership with Erin’s Chair, Archie has been able to provide the specialist chairs to local families when they need them most.
Sarah continued: “Having a sick child is already a stressful situation to find yourself in never mind the added financial pressures that come with it. Having the chair donated to us meant that we didn’t have to worry about finding and paying for equipment ourselves. It was one less thing for us to think about at a time when we were already worrying about Ria and her surgery.”
Once Ria no longer needed the chair, Sarah decided to donate it back to the ward so that another child and their family could benefit from it.
The spica chair was not the only support Archie provided Ria and her family. As they live an hour's drive away from RACH, Sarah and Ria’s dad, Scott, made use of the charity’s family accommodation while Ria was undergoing her hip surgery.
The Archie Family Centre has 19 rooms available to parents and siblings of children receiving treatment at RACH.
“Being able to stay close to Ria while she was having and recovering from surgery was invaluable. Her dad and I alternated who would stay so that someone was always close by. She was so young and we were so worried about her, but having somewhere we could stay overnight eased some of this worry. If she needed us, we were there.”
Ruth McIntosh, Head of Fundraising at Archie, said: “Ria’s story is a great example of the type of support we can provide at Archie. A spica cast can leave a toddler unable to sit up independently for months, and that changes everything about family life at home. Through Erin’s Chair, we can give families one less thing to worry about at a time when they have more than enough on their minds.
"We’re also very grateful to Sarah for donating Ria’s chair back to the ward. Because of her, another family will get the same help when they need it most."
Archie has helped children and families across the north of Scotland for more than 25 years, funding specialist roles and projects at RACH and, more recently, at Highland Children’s Unit, Tayside Children’s Hospital, and Dr Gray’s Hospital, Elgin.
Erin’s Chair is a social enterprise that created a compact, free-standing, collapsible spica chair made from sustainable materials. Compared to other options on the market, Erin’s Chair is an affordable option for families looking for a high-quality, portable spica chair.
To find out more about The Archie Foundation and the support it provides, visit https://archie.org/what-we-do/