In September 2021 Taylor was in a dance class when she injured her back, today she can hardly walk and needs a urgent Consultation and MRI.
A little bit about Taylor
Taylor is a 17-year-old student at The Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts. As a young child, Taylor has always been determined to succeed. In 2019/20 Taylor was encouraged to audition for Performing Arts School by her Performing Arts Head at her secondary school. She was very aware that we couldn't afford this training unless she could receive a scholarship.
But we didn't stop her auditioning and she never thought she would be successful either. She auditioned for 7 different schools and was offered a place at all the schools and was also awarded full scholarships for her training.
She accepted a place at the prestigious Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts in Swindon and with the help of her grandparents she moved to Swindon at 16. It was then she was offered another full scholarship to cover her accommodation for exceptional talent from the Black Hearts Foundation.
We couldn't be prouder of her and all her hard work. Even during Co-Vid and studying from home she never missed a class and always gives her whole.
Taylor is a hard-working and caring 17-year-old who understand that it takes hard work and dedication to succeed. She has also been through things that other teens would never understand after her younger brother was hit by a motorcycle in July 2019 and she was on the scene with him and comforted him and tried to keep him calm whilst waiting for the paramedics.
This had a huge impact on her, along with struggling with nightmares, the accident was the week of her end of year exams and she didn't sit them. This impacted her when she was awarded her GCSEs a year later as she was working towards exams and because they didn't sit exams, she just passed her exams, which was another devastating knock for her.
She also had to leave her dance school of 2 years as I drove her 64 miles a night and I couldn't drive her anymore which meant she also lost something she loved. Although she started going into London to dance, it was the friendships she missed as well. But she still took everything in her stride and was determined and on returning to school in September she took it on herself to get counselling.
What happened
Sadly in September 2021, Taylor was in a dance class when she performed a jump and she felt a shooting pain through her back and she fell. She was taken to the hospital and released to rest and she was treated by her physio on-site at the Academy and she started to show some neurological signs which the physio was very concerned about. She returned home and went to our local hospital and waited 12 hours in casualty overnight (they forgot her) only to be told again it was pulled muscle and to rest etc. She came out devastated and in so much pain.
She continued under the care of her physio at her Academy and after 6 weeks she was able to do some ballet and a stretch class, but after a few classes, her back couldn't cope.
After a discussion with her physio etc, she was advised by her physio last week to return home and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Taylor returned home this weekend and we have been back to the hospital again and was advised again to rest and take pain medication. She left the Royal London Hospital in tears hardly being able to walk and even after pain medication she was still suffering pins and needles in her ankle and shooting pain down her leg.
The physio provided her with a letter for a medical specialist but after looking at the cost of treatment we are devastated as we cannot afford it.
What is more devastated is seeing your child in so much pain, due to the injury but also the devastation she is suffering at the thought her career she has worked so hard for could be over before it starts.
She is aware that the longer she waits for the treatment the less likely she is to dance again and the NHS will not do a scan until 12 weeks after the back injury is presented. Due to Co-vid, she could wait 18 months for treatment.
Thank you to my cousin who has just paid for an appointment tomorrow at Holly House Hospital but will still need an MRI Scan, follow up and maybe surgery or injections.
This project successfully funded on 13th December 2021