Centrobed – helping to create a better life (Muscular Dystrophy)

Christopher Gibbins lives with his family in Hereford; he has been diagnosed with the most severe form of Muscular Dystrophy. Whilst he has use of a wheelchair he is dependent on his family.

Claire and Colin wish their son to have a comfortable family life and to be able to enjoy the home, however he is confined to only two rooms in the house. His parents would love for him to be comfortable in his surroundings and enjoy home life. They were determined that Chris will be able to have access upstairs as well as downstairs. They are a close family and his parents adore Christopher.

DIY SOS contacted Centrobed about Christopher; he suffers with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy where there is unfortunately no cure for this genetic disorder. It is a progressive muscle degeneration and weakness which is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a cell that helps to keep muscle cells intact. He was often seen to be very unsteady when walking and struggled with stairs and is now dependent on a motorised wheelchair to get around as full mobility has become an issue. Christopher also has respiratory complications as the muscle layer around the heart and diaphragm has weakened.

Muscular Dystrophy is an umbrella term for numerous disorders, each with different symptoms, causes and types of disorders. MD has known characteristics such as; Weak muscles in the front leg which causes the ‘foot to drop’; walking on tiptoes (contracture), thick lower leg muscles, knees may bend back to take the weight, the inability to walk and frequent falls. Poor balance and limited range of movement, respiratory difficulty and progressive muscular wasting.

The yearly cost for a Carer is astounding! Choosing an Arctic turning bed would save the NHS thousands of pounds. The results achieved are that we can provide a bed to help create a better life for a child or adult with MD. It allows them greater independence and dignity, overall giving them comfort and putting ease on their families.

Christopher always struggled to get himself comfortable since he was a toddler. However, now with the help of the Arctic bed, which is a multi-positioning and multi-functional profiling and turning bed, Christopher is able to sit up single-handed. He can move the bed independently during the night so that he can adjust his sleeping position and have a comfortable night’s sleep. Also having this type of bed eliminates the need for his parent’s assistance throughout the night as the bed can be programmed to turn Christopher during the night, at regular intervals. Christopher also suffers with frequent chest infections and complications, he can now have his head raised slightly which then helps with his breathing and reduces his coughing during the night.

Christopher’s parents are so grateful.

‘The cool design and look of the bed is so pleasing. After having a plain looking profiling hospital bed, it is such a relief having ‘a normal’ looking bed, with a cool design. Also, the fact we can change the design as he grows older is such a bonus.

As for comfort and practicality, it has been a god send.

Christopher is so much more comfortable now at night. With so many variations of positions, he or we can adjust the bed to suit his needs, to make him as relaxed as possible. He has the head raised slightly which helps with his breathing. We tend to keep the side guard up at an angle which provides him with security but also allows him to get on and off the bed on his own.

Also, we often raise the edges of the mattress which helps keep his legs and hips in line and supports his thighs. Although we haven’t used all the functions of the bed yet, but as his conditions worsen over time, we know we have the option to do so much more with it to aid Christopher’s comfort’

 Colin and Clare