Aberdeen mum dreams of seeing daughters walk as family raise cash for therapy abroad

A mum from Aberdeen hopes to one day see her twin daughters walk as the family look to raise thousands of pounds for therapy abroad.

Nicole Clark, from Northfield, welcomed Elsa and Ella Allan into the world on April 5, 2020. The pair arrived prematurely at 31 weeks and were placed in incubators within the neonatal intensive care unit.

The babies underwent several routine scans during their stay in the ward. At four weeks old, medical teams detected that the twins had holes in their brains.

Doctors diagnosed the pair with Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a condition common in premature babies, where small areas of brain tissue around fluid-filled areas called ventricles die.

The condition increases the likelihood of a child having cerebral palsy, which both Elsa and Ella have been diagnosed with.

The twins are hoping to receive therapy in Lanzarote Nicole Clark

Nicole told STV News: “Throughout my pregnancy everything seemed fine.

“I gave birth at around 31 weeks and they both got taken to the neonatal unit and put in incubators.

“They received brain scans, which I was told is routine for premature babies. At four weeks old we were told that they had some holes in their brain.

“They were diagnosed with PVL which evolved to cerebral palsy, it was clear that they had been starved of oxygen at some point.”

The four-year-old twins still find it hard to walk and have difficulty when it comes to completing tasks many of their peers take for granted.

The family has parted with thousands of pounds to pay for therapy appointments across the country to ensure the girls receive what they need to have a better life.

In July they attended Swim Lab International in Lanzarote costing them £4,000 for the therapy alone.

The organisation, which has a base in the Canary Islands and across the pond in Florida, aims to devise a tailored programme to ensure each child receives the help they need.

Nicole was blown away by the progress both Ella and Elsa made during their initial visit.

She explained: “In Lanzarote they were getting three sessions a day, two in water and one on land.

“The staff were amazing and took their time supporting Elsa and Ella. They were different children, it was amazing to see them do things I never believed they’d be capable of doing.

“At times it was really overwhelming.”

Elsa and Ella alongside their big sister Eva Allan Nicole Clark

The Aberdeen mum has launched a fundraiser to raise enough money to take both Ella and Elsa back to Swim Lab for more potentially life-changing treatment.

However, the family’s dream would be to eventually see the four-year-olds on their feet taking their first steps with the help of a machine developed by Trexo Robotics in Canada, which allows children to experience the sensation of walking.

Despite the difficulties facing both Elsa and Ella in everyday life, the beaming sisters have taken on each challenge with determination.

A proud Nicole said: “They are the cheekiest little monkeys but also the happiest girls in the world.

“Elsa is forever smiling and Ella has very infectious smile. Our final goal is to see them walking, either with an aid or without an aid.

“Just to see them on their feet being included with other children would be amazing. Recently I was amazed because Ella poured a bit of milk into a cup.

“Some parents take those small things for granted but moments like that are massive for us.”

To visit the GoFundMe click here