“We are the Jones family: Grant, Lianne and our triplets Ryleigh, Jessica and Imogen.
To put it simply, life with triplets is hard. But without sounding cliché, we wouldn’t change it for the world.
Cerebral Palsy affects approximately 30,000 children across the UK, around one in every 400 live births. For our family, that statistic became our reality three times over.Â
Ryleigh, Jessica and Imogen are almost five now and they certainly keep us on our toes. Having three children is tricky enough, most parents will tell you, but three the same age is a whole new ball game.”
Living with Cerebral PalsyÂ
All three girls have CP, which means our day-to-day life looks a little different to most families. Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability of childhood, affecting muscle control and movement. For Ryleigh, Jessica and Imogen, this means we have splints, stretches, medicine, walkers and more to fit into our routine.Â
Getting out of the door can feel like a finely choreographed dance. Splints, boots, medicine, walkers, check. Then off we go. The girls struggle to do many of the things that most five-year-olds can do, so everything we do has to be carefully thought through and adapted.
Work and family lifeÂ
As we both work, managing the number of appointments is challenging. We work opposite shifts to cover school runs and school holidays, and we rely a lot on our parents, who we are extremely lucky to have close by. They help as much as they can, but of course, they work too. We’re far from alone in this. 63% of families with disabled children depend on unpaid care from family members, often grandparents juggling their own work commitments.”
Missing outÂ
“We feel the girls miss out on a lot of things that other children take for granted. Even something as simple as going to the park is tough, as we always need two adults to manage. Soft play, swimming, farm trips and even shopping all become harder when mobility is such a big factor.Â
With around 160,000 people living with Cerebral Palsy in the UK, you’d think accessibility would be better. But many places are not inclusive, and it’s not until you’re navigating life with CP that you realise just how difficult and isolating it can be.”
Why Gympanzees mattersÂ
“For us, having Gympanzees will be incredible. It will be a place we can go without judgement, supported by people who truly understand the challenges of raising disabled children.Â
It will give us a safe space for vital exercise, and just as importantly, a safe space to play. For families like ours, it will be lifechanging!”
We are so grateful to the Jones family for sharing their story. Families like theirs are at the heart of why Gympanzees exists. Together we can build a place where every disabled child and young person has the chance to exercise, play and belong.Â
This is exciting, Steph, to see things really starting to happen. Well done.