Jump for Jude

Jump for Jude

When a doctor said to nine-year-old Cam that his younger brother ‘doesn’t walk’, Cam quickly put the doctor in her place.

‘Jude does walk,’ he said. ‘He walks with a walker.’

And, yes, of course he talks. He talks with a PODD* communication book.

Jude, 8, also wrestles, parties at the pool, laughs at crazy jokes, lives his Power Ranger passion, and hangs out with his friends and brother at school, where he takes on everything year one throws at him, reading like a champion.

But in the way the doctor swiftly learnt, Jude also teaches those around him - about difference.

Jude was born healthy and growing beautifully. At nine months old, a viral illness set his life on a radically changed course, affecting his ability to move.

“We are all different - that’s what makes us the same,’’ is how Cam describes it.

Whatever comes Jude’s way (a broken leg and nose this year), he lives the family motto – ‘I tough’, which means always having the courage to keep going.

Enabling Jude’s independence is expensive. He will always need one-on-one support, custom equipment and various therapies. But with these, he truly flourishes.

The average cost of such care is $80,000 a year, with government support limited. When things go wrong (the fractured femur), or as Jude grows and technology changes, expenses soar (standing frame, height adjustable bed, communication programming & software).

But cutting-edge treatments based on brain plasticity are offering different ways to strengthen Jude on his path towards independence.

This week, Bayside Seido Karate launches the Jump for Jude campaign to raise money for some of his specialised equipment and therapy.

Like his friends, and all of us, and the Power Rangers he loves, Jude wants to be the most empowered person he can be.

So jump in, join in any way you can, create your own ‘I Tough’ challenge, or just take the ‘I Tough’ motto with you.

*Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display