7 July 2015
Joe Reddington
Flowers For Turing
A HUGE thank you from SpecialEffect!
Thank you so much for organising your unique Flowers For Turing
appeal, recognising Alan Turing’s birthday whilst raising vital funds
for SpecialEffect. We’re hugely grateful for your donation of
£623.09 – what a tremendous result; this is a fantastic contribution
towards our work.
We feel very honoured to work with such extraordinary, inspiring
people who in the most testing of circumstances, somehow display
such fortitude, courage and resilience. Every day we’re moved by their exceptional character, which
inspires us to keep doing everything we possibly can to enable them to get the most out of life in their
new situation.
I hope Tom’s words express the difference you’re helping us to make: “I really want to say thank you to
everyone at SpecialEffect who have done so much to help me get my life back; most people don’t realise
that computer games (for some people) is the best form of distraction from life but because of the work
you guys do, people like myself are able to have that distraction. Thank you so much for everything you
have done for me and other disabled people.”
We couldn’t do this without the support from so many people’s tremendous support, you are our
lifeblood. Thank you so much for helping us to make that all-important difference to those who need it
the most.
With our very best wishes.
Alison Hilborne
SpecialEffect
[email protected]
Brendan
Brendan is 17 and loves playing games. He sustained a traumatic brain
injury following a serious accident. Brendan loves racing car games but
was unable to play any as he doesn’t have the correct equipment and he
struggles with the speed of the games. Instead he can only watch his
brother and friends having all the fun which is frustrating and leaves him
feeling excluded.
We visited Brendan to see if we could help. We set him up with a
controller which we clamped to the side of his wheelchair. We clipped
an extension to the right joystick and positioned the controller in a
similar position to where his wheelchair joystick sits so that he can use it
with his left arm. Brendan started to accelerate, brake and steer by just
using the right joystick. We then introduced two buddy buttons, one
that he could press with the
outside of his left knee and the
other that was attached to the underside of his wheelchair tray
which he could press by lifting his left leg up. He could play
different types of games with this set up. His brother Dylan was
with us throughout the assessment and was excited at the
prospect of playing with his brother.
It’s not just about playing games, it’s about joining
in, being included, achieving things that weren’t
easily possible before, having fun and an overall
improved quality of life. Brendan can now enter a
whole new world of fun, freedom - and enjoy a little
independence.
SpecialEffect are constantly fundraising and we’re absolutely indebted to many wonderful Trusts, Foundations, individuals, businesses, schools & community groups for such
incredible support who help us in so many different ways.
SpecialEffect, The Stable Block, Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3EH. Registered Charity No. 1121004
T: 01608 810055 E: [email protected] www.specialeffect.org.uk