Ollie needs help for US treatment

By Tania Martin
LITTLE Oliver ‘Ollie’ Siddle struggles every day to take his next step but never gives up.
The Mt Dandenong five-year-old’s family needs to raise more than $50,000 to take Ollie to America for treatment next month.
Locals can support the Siddles on Monday 3 November at a charity dinner at Olinda’s Wild Oak Restaurant.
Ollie has severe motor delay, which causes muscle weakness. He can only take 10 to 20 steps unaided but is fiercely independent and uses crutches and a gator walker to keep him on the move.
Local vet Moss and his wife Christine first discovered Ollie’s condition when he was seven months old.
Mrs Siddle had suspected months earlier that something was wrong but was told her son was a slow developer. Since then, Ollie has had a number of tests and seen a range of specialists, from paediatricians, neurologists and speech pathologists to orthopaedic surgeons.
Initially ,doctors thought Ollie had a folate deficiency in his celebro-spinal fluid but it is now thought to be a B12 deficiency.
Despite years of treatment for Ollie, the Siddles still don’t have a specific diagnosis for his condition.
“We are not desperate for a diagnosis for the sake of it. More than anything we want to know we are using the right treatment,” Mrs Siddle said.
At the moment, it is not clear if Ollie’s inability to talk is linked with his motor relay condition.
But Ollie hasn’t let this keep him down _ he has learnt sign language and even uses an electronic talker to communicate with family and friends.
Ollie will head to America next month for treatment _ in Fort Lauderdale, Florida _ that is unavailable in Australia. It will work on improving his muscle strength using a Russian space suit.
The Thera Suit includes a vest, knee pads and elastic bands to simulate muscle movement. Mrs Siddle hoped the suit would give Ollie the confidence to walk further than 10 steps unaided.
Ollie will have three weeks of intensive therapy for up to six hours a day.
Mrs Siddle, a paediatric occupational therapist, will also be trained in how to use the $3000 suit. “If it works, we want to get Ollie a suit,” she said.
Locals can support the Siddles in their quest to get Ollie the treatment he needs by attending the charity dinner on Monday.
Tickets are on sale now and cost $100. To make a booking, call 9751 2033.