Specialist bed helps brave Harrison get a good night’s sleep
Ryan Taylor
An isles teenager who suffers from a progressive muscular weakness is reaping the rewards of a new specialist bed.
Harrison Morris has an inherited disorder known as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
The 13-year-old has also developed neuromuscular scoliosis – where the spine twists and curves to the side – as a result of his DMD.
But now, Harrison’s mother, Louise, has spoken about the family’s efforts to find a bed which could assist Harrison.
Because the supplier, Centrobed Technicians, was unable to send the bed to the isles, Harrison’s family had been struggling to find a way for him to trial the equipment.
They had made several trips to the south of England to explore the possibilities.
However, the Archie Foundation – which aims to help children and families in healthcare and bereavement – has now stepped in.
And the bed is now in the Archie Family Centre, in the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.
It follows a huge collaborative effort which also included occupational therapists in Aberdeen and in Shetland.
And it has helped the family stay closer to home while Harrison gets used to the bed.
The youngster is due to have surgery to straighten his spine, which would mean two carers attending each day to turn him after his surgery.
But the specialist bed enables him to turn himself, so carers won’t be needed, and his parents do not have to struggle to turn him themselves.
Louise said: “To have this opportunity to trial the bed has been fantastic as it really will make such a difference, to all of us.
“Usually, [husband] Steve and I are up with Harrison several times each night to make sure he is comfortable and turn him when necessary – the last two nights all three of us have had the best nights sleep we have had in years.”
