Space suit helps Honor take control

Honor Griffiths, 4, who has cerebral palsy, is the first Kiwi to try out the Therasuit therapy. Photo / Supplied

Honor Griffiths' cerebral palsy means she's been a bit unsteady on her feet.

Earlier this year, her Canterbury parents Erin and Tony would have to hold the 4-and-a-half year old's hands as she walked along, looking a bit "unco-ordinated", but enjoying the process no less.

But curious about a programme they had seen on Australia's 60 Minutes programme in February last year, they decided to investigate further.

It focused on Adelaide man Chad Timmermans and the miracles he had been working with his company Therasuit offering therapy to sufferers of cerebral palsy.

They then discovered the suits are exactly the same as those originally used by Russian cosmonauts to stop their muscles wasting away while in space.

Mrs Griffiths signed Honor up, she completed a preparatory programme - aimed at helping prepare her muscles for the intensive therapy - and she is now the first Kiwi to have tried out the suit which has been changing children's lives all over the world.

At the moment there is nobody qualified to use therasuit in New Zealand, so Mr Timmermans was as close as she could get.

The therasuit aligned Honor's body, making her weaker muscles stronger and tighter muscles looser.

But the treatment wasn't cheap, and although Honor and her mum were able to get to Adelaide for the three-hour-a-day, five-day-a-week, three-week intensive treatment in April, they now need to go back for a follow-up appointment next year.

Friends have set up a givealittle page to help them return.

The family remain unclear as to how Honor got cerebral palsy. There's nothing in the family genes, and no concerns were raised during pregnancy or when she was born. However, during her first night's stay in hospital, a bit of mucus got stuck in her mouth and she couldn't cough it up or breathe it out and she stopped breathing for a while.

"That was an episode when we thought it might have happened," Mrs Griffiths said.

Determined to help her child, Mrs Griffiths got in touch with Mr Timmermans in January and took Honor over for the three-week treatment in April.

"Since we have done the therapy we can see the progress which is great. It's not an overnight fix obviously, but I think sometimes you have to look outside the square and do a bit of your own research."

It had changed not only Honor's life but also Mrs Griffiths' in how she treats her daughter.

"It was great and we have been able to learn a lot of stuff that I can do at home with her as well, a lot of stretches, massage and ways to get her to push herself a bit harder as well."

Mr Timmermans is an exercise physiologist and psychologist who specialises in early childhood rehabilitation.

He said the therasuit was a "biomechanical exoskeleton" that had rubber bungy cords attached to the child's feet, knees, hips, arms, torso, shoulders and hands which can correct or challenge a child's motor control. It meant they could eventually regain voluntary control over their body.

Honor went from initially needing two hands for support when she walked to walking holding just one hand at the end.

"In other words, at the initial assessment we needed to do all the balancing for her, at the end of it she was doing all the balancing herself."

To help Honor Griffiths and her family, go to givealittle.co.nz/cause/inherhonour

The Therasuit

• Made out of thick lycra material.
• Set up with rubber bungees attached to the child's feet, knees, hips, arms, torso, shoulders and hands.
• Can be tightened or loosened depending on whether they need to be corrected or challenged.
• Gets the brain used to muscles it's never used.
• Loosens muscles that have become tight.
• Ultimate goal to realign the body, streamlining muscle strength by neurological control.
• Also helpful for children with an acquired brain injury, who have had a stroke, have low muscle tone or developmental delay.