This little boy was used against his father by the MOD to save money. His parents have been told that if he cannot crawl by his sixth birthday he will never be able to walk. It has taken four years just to get a proper wheelchair and his family have to rely on charity to get by as all their money goes on equipment for Chandler WHY?
The army redress of complaints procedure took over 3 years to investigate the avoidable tragedy of the 29th of January 2000, and is still ongoing to this day. The only way Chandler's parents can get justice for Chandler is through the High Courts Why?
<a href="../images/chandler_img_001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../images/chandler_img_001.jpg" border="0" width="250">
Full of Smiles
So far Chandler has had to endure a number of life threatening operations, two only last year. He is soon to have nine teeth removed because, his teeth have rotted due to the high amount of drugs Chandler has had over the years.
Prince Charles remarked in a letter to Chandlers parents that their problems puts his own problems into perspective. Chandler’s future was taken away from him on the 29th of January 2000 by the MOD due to an abused policy called 'Manning Control'. His family will never get over the fact that Chandler was a normal healthy child before he contracted Meningitis. The MOD chose to deliberately ignore medical advice on Chandler Just to Save Money.
Chandler
Chandler is blind and cannot talk properly. He bites himself sometimes until he bleeds due to frustration because it is the only way to make his parents know something is not right, sometimes he is in pain or he wants to go to bed or needs his music changed.
Children with CP cope more easily when they get special help from an early age. Because the brain can change a lot during the first few years of life, it can be difficult to assess the extent of the CP at first. But most experts suggest that babies should be first assessed at about 9-12 months. Many children with CP have also special educational needs.
Please do not attempt to contact Chandler’s family direct, the family are under enough pressure right now. Thank you for your understanding.
Before the Surgery
Chandler Update circa 2004
(by Paul 'Tall Git', Chandler's Daddy)
A year after the above and much had changed. Many have asked about his progress from all over. His first Operation, which you all know about, required a neurologist (Brain Doctor) to cut a small hole into the dead part of his Brain so to relive pressure. At the time it was not known if this operation was successful. It would be another 9 months before Paul & Debbie could breath a sigh of relief, during that time Chandler had to go rough two other Operations. One was on his Hips, this would be the type of operation you would expect someone in there 80s to go though but due to the fact that the NHS would not provide a proper Wheelchair for Chandler, his hips were becoming dislocated, So Sept 03 Chandler when back under the knife, although Chandler is blind, he is not stupid and knew what was about to happen, when he was being wheeled in, wearing his Para Reg top, the anaesthetist, a South African, attempted to give Chandler gas, his dad warned the anaesthetist that Chandler will fight it. "Don't worry dad, I have done this for years" as he put the mask over Chandlers mouth. The South African let out high pitched yelp, Chandler Bit him and laughed.
what should I do next
Once Chandler woke up from the Op he was pissed off, no tears just pure aggression, and he let dad know it. For months after he had to wear a hip brace. Due to the high amount of Drugs Chandler has to take, his teeth, despite always being looked after were starting to decay. So in Jan 04 again he would have to go in the Hospital to have 9 teeth removed in one go. Again he fought the anaesthetist and again he woke up very pissed off. Chandler may have to have an operation on his spine due to the lack (at the time) of a proper wheelchair, although he now has a proper wheelchair, his spine was curving and at present is being monitored, fingers crossed, all the Beastings he has had to prevent this, will have paid off . Chandler gets regular daily beastings not only for his back but all over. His legs can get very stiff so hips, knees and ankles are regularly worked so to prevent further operations. He would spend up to 2 to 3 hours in a standing frame. Wearing foot and leg splints. Then it would be back to the sitting frame for about 2 hours. In the afternoon more beastings but with more hands on approach, stretching the hamstrings etc. At night he would wear his hip brace and night splints, all night. All this has paid off as a year ago Chandler could not sit without constant support. He can now sit for short periods of time, over time he learnt to put his hands out when he felt he was about to fall, before he would just fall and hit his noggin. (he can now bang out a perfect parachute roll, from the sitting position).
In The Garden
As some of you know Chandler, due to being frustrated, would bite himself sometimes until he would bleed. This is because his lack of communication skills. Because he's blind he cannot look or point at what he wants. Because he can not talk he can not tell you what he wants, Paul and Debbie would sometimes have to go though several things before they hit the jackpot. Did he want his music changed, his nappy changed, is he hungry, thirsty. Or just wants to sit outside to hear the birds sing. Now Chandler has had some teeth removed, he punches, and not only himself anyone who dares to get close to him, he's landed one or two on his dad a few times and they hurt. Chandler has a long way to go but has so far beat everything life has chucked at him.
So what is he doing now? Well, he is sat on his backside showing off his new sitting skill to the chicks and chilling on the beach listening To the sea.
Since Chandlers last update much has happened to the little chap. Last year Chandler spent most of the summer in Hospital as doctors attempted to establish why chandler was getting so unwell every other week. He would be miserable and cry and be in obvious pain. As Chandler cannot form words we would have to try various methods trying to find out what was wrong. At first we and the doctors thought that the operation on his Brain that he had back in 03 had reversed, so Chandler had to have some more work on his noggin so test the pressure inside his brain. It was not his brain, and after three more long visits to the hospital it was discovered that Chandler was not drinking enough fluids. BAFC Members who have met Chandler know he is a stubborn young man who knows what he wants and will fight you to the last for it. Chandler always insists in feeding and watering himself. We found out that Chandler was playing with his water rather than drinking it, the little shit was putting it his mouth gargling it as he liked the sound and then letting it dribble out, laugh then do it again. As a result over time he was becoming seriously dehydrated. Parts of the brain that measure sodium levels in the body that tell us to drink had been damaged during the Meningitis, so he never feels the need to drink...
We would have to force feed a full cup of water down his neck via a 10 mil syringe six times a day. This would prove to be a hard task, I’m a 6ft 2in 14 stone Paratrooper, and to this day I cannot get Chandler watered on my own. It normally takes two, one to hold his arms above his head to stop him grabbing the syringe and to hold his head still, with one arm and with the other holds his nose to get him to swallow. The other person to administer the water, small drops at a time then immediately hold a cloth over his mouth so to stop him from spitting it out. Since his last operation this has been a three party job.
This routine normally takes 15 minuets. Our only other option would be for Chandler to have a tube fitted to his stomach and administer water that way. Chandler being Chandler would just pull it out. Because Chandler was so unwell during this time his planed Hip Operation was called off.
As some will know Chandler got the opportunity to earn his Blue Badge of Courage at RAF Brize Norton, by jumping (pushed) from the Exit Trainer, He loved it. Days after this we got the news we were dreading His Hip replacement operation was back on in two weeks time. We were told that that both hips would be replaced and the left side of his pelvis was to be reconstructed.
Debbie and I have been in and out hospitals over the years with Chandler and have been through what I call the long walk to the operating theatre more times then we would like, it is the most horrible feeling ever. Despite Chandler being partly blind, His sense of smell and hearing is razor sharp. During the long walk he is his normal playful self, sitting up on the trolley laughing and trying to grip at anything he manages to catch sight of with what little sight he has. Then once in the operating theatre. I pick him up and take him into the operation room. At that point Chandler stops laughing. His eyes are searching rolling all over looking for some sign, but he knows where he is and he knows what is about to happen. You can see it on his face.
After the normal fight by the Hospital staff to get Chandler asleep for the Operation, I had to leave Chandler in the hands of others.
What took place during the operation?
Chandler had both the tops of his femurs sewn off to points and then replaced with curved metal plates; these were then fitted into the natural curves in his pelvis. However Chandler’s pelvis on the left side had not formed properly due to his left leg already being dislocated so the natural grove had not formed on that side. So this too was operated on. After this Chandler was left with three long scars. One on each side of his hip and one on the left side of his inside leg. What with the scars on his head and hands and feet, he now officially has beaten his dad in the scars race.
Chandler woke up and the normal happens, Chandler gets pissed off and attacks all that come near him. Three nurses all looked shocked by the time we got there you could see they had never seen anything like it. Not crying but just pure rage. We then go into the normal Biddiss family SOPs. I put my head near him to let him know I am hear, he grabs me by the ears pulls me closer the sticks the nut on me. Debbie sticks the strap on his right arm so to stop him biting himself and then we stick his music on.
For the next few weeks Chandler was in a Hip brace. It looked more like body armour that had two metal poles down each side that then attached to braces around his legs that kept his legs in place and stopped them from moving, He was then on high doses of pain killers for a number of weeks. This we would have to do in the same manner as how we would give him juice. We would also have to turn Chandler over on a different side every 20 minutes. Day and night. Chandler would be angry and frustrated that he could not do the things he could before the operation; you could see he did not understand why this had happened to him. He would not eat or drink and at one point the doctors wanted Chandler back in so they could nose feed him. We knew Chandler would just rip the tube out, so we just persevered and have been stuffing scoff down his neck ever since.
Chandler has now had the brace taken off after seven weeks. When it was taken off you could see it on his face. Remember what it felt like taking off your body amour after a 4 hour patrol in West Belfast during the summer; now imagine wearing your body amour for seven weeks 24/7 without ever taking it off in this weather for 7 weeks.
We now have a long battle ahead getting chandler to get movemnt and straiten his legs, he flinches now when we go near him as his scars are still healing and his hips are still sore. We are up most nights as he wakes up in pain when his legs get stuck. It will take time and there are no guaranties that the hips will work and not cause him further pain. If so, he will have to get them removed in a year’s time. However, he is happy and back to his normal fighting self…….the little shit. LOL
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