Born: 1992
Alice, born in 1993, came to us in 1998 from the Psychiatric Hospital in Accra, which was not a good place for a child with a range of physical and mental disabilities. Alice has Rett’s Syndrome, which is slowly progressive and though she used to be able to walk with support, she is in a wheelchair all the time now. When she arrived at Hand in Hand she was severely malnourished and was self injuring due to the stressful environment she had been living in. This can still happen on occasions and Alice will cry and wring her hands and then it can be difficult to console her.
Alice tends to sit bent forwards in her wheelchair and often seems to protect her face with her arms. It takes time and effort to gain her confidence. Once you have succeeded you will be rewarded with a different Alice who is calm and enjoys the massage she receives each morning as part of her regular programme. Alice loves floating in the swimming pool, especially when there are no other children and it is nice and quiet.
She also enjoys music and definitely prefers one to one attention.