James is a 19-year-old from North Saanich who was born at 32 weeks gestation and spent many weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. James suffered a grade 3 brain hemorrhage and has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, Epilepsy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. James’ seizures are difficult to control, leading to many ambulance rides, hospitalizations, and medication adjustments over the years. One saving grace for James and his family was the ability to float, soak, and do physiotherapy at the local pool and hot tub; however, Covid-19 made that nearly impossible. This is where Help Fill a Dream came in. James’ occupational therapist quickly realized the positive impact using a hot tub had on James’ muscle spasticity, sensory regulation, and pain control. She referred the family for a Dream: their very own hot tub. As James and his family are in the throes of many changes like transitioning out of high school and moving from the pediatric to the adult medical system, the hot tub is helping reduce overall stress, providing a calming environment for James to communicate with his parents, and of course, giving James some much-needed pain relief.
“If he’s had a hard day, then into the hot tub we go.” – Joanne Hall, James’ mother
