BIRD gives Jenny new lease of life

Jan 9 2004 By Jessica Shaughnessy, Chester Chronicle

Every day, a minor miracle takes place in a clinic on the outskirts of Chester. BIRD, the centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Development, offers a unique treatment for disabled children and adults. Reporter JESSICA SHAUGHNESSY meets a Chester mum who is extremely grateful for the help her daughter has received.

Little Jenny Tinsley is keeping up with her twin, Emily - defying the doctors who said she would be severely disabled.

Doctors warned the three-year-old may never walk or talk after a massive brain haemorrhage shortly after her birth left her with cerebral palsy.

But battling Jenny is always hot on her sister's heels after pioneering treatment at BIRD, the Broughtonbased centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Development.

'There has been a definite improvement in Jenny since we took her to BIRD - it is amazing,' said mum Sonja Lloyd, who lives on Bache Drive, Upton, with the girls, her partner, David Tinsley, a civil engineer, and four-year-old daughter Jodie.

The twins were born three months early at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Like many premature babies, Emily suffered a minor brain haemorrhage at birth but, thankfully, made a full recovery.

Just three days later, Jenny was taken ill. Doctors said she had also suffered a haemorrhage, which left a large cyst on her brain.

And when Sonja and David were allowed to take their daughters home, they were told that Jenny would soon show signs of disability.

'They noticed that she had become very uncomfortable and was in pain and then they carried out a scan and discovered what had happened,' said Sonja.