Last year MedEquip4Kids provided an Acheeva Graduate Bed for Foxfield School in Birkenhead, which meets the needs of secondary school pupils in the Wirral with complex learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Many of the pupils also have sensory impairments, physical difficulties, or an autism spectrum condition.
The bed allows physically disabled pupils to work in a supported, balanced lying posture, giving them relief from sitting in a wheelchair all day. It is compact and easily moveable, and the height and angle can be adjusted so that the child is at the same level as their classmates.
One of the pupils who is benefiting from the new bed is 15-year-old Paige Standen. Paige returned to Foxfield School early in December 2020, six weeks after her spinal surgery. Paige is registered blind, has seizures and global developmental delay. She is also non-verbal and wheelchair-dependent. Paige needed surgery for her scoliosis, a condition which results in an S-shaped curve in the spine. She now has two titanium rods and numerous screws to straighten her up.
Paige’s mum Michelle says: “As you can see, she is a true teenager who loves to chill. The Acheeva is providing her and many other children with the opportunity to chill in comfort whilst interacting if they wish to.”
Head teacher André Baird says: “The Acheeva Bed can support children in school who are recovering from major surgery and need to be comfortably supported and positioned in the classroom, so that they can make a successful return to full-time education as soon as possible.”
