Movie fundraiser first step towards therapy

The Costers, (from left) David, Mac, 1, Margot, 4, Aoife, 2, Bridget and Cooper, 8, are looking...
The Costers, (from left) David, Mac, 1, Margot, 4, Aoife, 2, Bridget and Cooper, 8, are looking forward to their family movie fundraiser next month. PHOTO: NIC DUFF
Aoife Coster is on a journey to learn to walk but needs help to pay for a trip to Australia for intensive therapy.

She has cerebral palsy as a result of complications from her birth.

Aoife is an identical twin but her sister, Evie, died after being born prematurely at 25 weeks.

The two shared a placenta and had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a complication involving a disproportionate bloody supply between foetuses.

Aoife had heart surgery at 8 weeks old and became anaemic.

As a result, she has damage in the white matter of her brain, which caused her cerebral palsy.

She experiences deafness as she has auditory neuropathy, which means her inner ear detects sound, but has a problem with sending sound from the ear to the brain.

Her eyesight is also affected.

Her parents, Bridget and David, are hoping to raise $20,000 to go to Australia for a three-week block of intensive therapy at the Centre of Movement on the Gold Coast.

The therapy it offers is not available in New Zealand.

"We’ve seen other people go to Centre of Movement and the positive outcomes from going there, so we’ll give that a go and see if that will benefit her," Mrs Coster said.

Aoife’s surgeon, physio and pediatrician have recommended she go.

"The more early intervention she has, the better function and mental outcome for her independence."

Receiving the intensive therapy could be the difference between whether or not Aoife would need assistance as an adult.

Unable to access funding for the intensive therapy, they had taken matters into their own hands, Mrs Coster said.

"Every parent wants the best for their child so if your child needs something, then you just find a way."

They are holding a family movie fundraiser next month at the Oamaru Elim Church.

They will play the movie Cars and entry will be a gold coin donation.

Food and baking will be available to buy as well.

Oamaru businesses have donated vouchers and prizes to be raffled on the night.

Others offered free "experiences" as prizes as well but those would be auctioned off at their second event, a country charity dinner at Del Mar, Mrs Coster said.

The family has set up Givealittle and social media pages called "Aoife’s journey to walk", for anyone interested in helping.

nic.duff@oamarumail.co.nz