Bradley Bush
Reaching the age of 16 should have meant that Bradley Bush could start looking towards adult life. He ought to have been out and about enjoying his teenage years like other youngsters.
Instead, Bradley spends his days motionless in a chair, unable to communicate and barely able to see.
It has been that way all his life and his birthday came and went without him realising, his parents well aware it could have been his last.
Bradley was born with severe disabilities as a direct result of a botched emergency Caesarean operation. His brain was badly damaged because of an unnecessary delay in carrying out the surgery.
After a legal wrangle that lasted almost eight years, the hospital involved finally admitted staff were guilty of medical negligence and issued a full apology to the family. For a long time NHS bosses refused to accept they were to blame.
The compensation payment enabled mum and dad, David and Jackie Bush to adapt their home in Lancashire so they could care for their son; both giving up their jobs to dedicate their lives to his well-being.
Their understandable anger and bitterness towards the NHS has now gone, and their efforts are concentrated on providing round-the-clock care for Bradley who is completely immobile.
That has involved enlisting the services of PSP, to provide physiotherapy sessions two or three times a week for their son.
“Basically, Bradley’s lungs are packing in and every night when we go to bed we wake up thinking is he going to be here in the morning?” admitted David.
“If PSP hadn’t helped us, Bradley would not be here now because the NHS don’t provide a chest physio. Twice in the last few months PSP has saved his life by performing physiotherapy which has cleared his lungs but we realise that his next chest infection could be his last.”
As part of his treatment, Bradley receives botox injections which help relax his muscles. “We trust PSP and the team understand our son’s body better than we do.”
“PSP tells us the truth and the team goes that extra mile with Bradley. The team will get on the bed to really work on Bradley’s body whereas other physios didn’t put in the same amount of effort.”
Bradley was born with severe cerebral palsy and curvature of the spine. He had a tracheostomy to help with his breathing and has been fed through a tube since he was four.
“Bradley has no facial movement but we can see through his expressions whether he is happy, sad or in pain. He smiles very occasionally,” added Jackie.
Several months ago the hospital asked the couple whether ‘they’d ever thought of letting him go’ and at one stage they feared he would not live until his first birthday. Two years ago he was put on an end-of-life pathway yet survived.
David and Jackie turned a barbecue to mark his 16th birthday into a premature 18th , so they could at least say the boy they love and cherish became a man.
08.04.14
Bradley sadly passed away this evening. He was surrounded by his family who were offering their eternal love to a son who was a true soldier. His bravery through adversity is to be truly admired. We at PSP are going to miss him. He became a friend.