Thom Hogdahl

IN 2008 THOM STARTED TO HAVE SEVERE HIP AND KNEE PAINS ,THIS OBVIUOSLY TOOK US TO THE DR. WE WERE THEN SUBJECTED TO A YEAR OF BLOOB TESTS, AND BEING SENT FROM ONE DR TO ANOTHER FROM MAIDEMHEAD,SLOUGH TO BRACKNEL AND BACK AGAIN THE WHOLE TIME NO ONE KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG.IN THE MEEN TIME THOMS CONDITION WAS GETTING WORSE TO THE POINT HE WAS EITHER ON CRUTCHES OR IN A WHEEL CHAIR,WE WERE TOLD THAT THOM NEEDED TO HAVE AN MRI SCAN,WHICH COULD TAKE UP TO 6 MONTHS! I ASKED THE DR TO PUT URGENT ON THOMS FILE,THE DR'S REPLY WAS THAT IS URGENT.THROUGH THIS WHOLE PERIOD THOM NEVER COMPLAINED,NEVER ASKED WHY ME. HE HAD TO SIT OUT OF ALL SPORT AND COULD'NT JOIN HIS FRIENDS IN THE PLAYGROUND WHICH WAS PARTICULARY HARD AS HE WAS A TEAM PLYER AND VERY SPORTY. THROUGH THE KINDNESS OF MY BROTHER WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE AN MRI SCAN AND THE RESULTS WITHIN A WEEK BY GOING TO A PRIVATE HOSPITAL. THOM HAD JUVENIAL ARTHRITIS. WE WENT BACK TO THE NHS WITH OUR RESULTS WHO ACTED VERY QUICKLY,THOM WENT ON TO HAVE MONTHS OF HYDROTHERAPY AND PHYSIOTHERAPY, ALL THE TIME TAKING CYDER VINEGAR AND ON ASTRICT DIET. THROUGH THOMS DETERMINATION AND PURE HARD WORK,YES THERE WERE TEARS FROM BOTH OF US,HE GOT THERE. TO WATCH THOM COMPETE IN HIS FIRST RACE IN TWO YEARS WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT. THOM IS NOW IN YEAR 7,IN THE FOOTBALL TEAM, IN THE AHTLETICS TEAM AND HAS JUST JOINED THE AFTER SCHOOL CRICKET CLUB AND LOVING EVERY SECOND OF SCHOOL.THOM IS A VERY BRAVE BOY AND AN INSPERATION TO OTHERS.