Intensive therapy paying off for young girl with rare condition

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

Amaria Emery, of Kaiapoi in North Canterbury, is one of just 10 children in New Zealand with CDKL5 – a neurological condition that means she is missing a protein needed for brain development.

Parents they spoke to encouraged them to get her into intensive therapy, and the family tries to visit the Timmermans Method Therapy Clinic in Adelaide once or twice a year, finances permitting. There, Amaria receives three-hour one-on-one therapy sessions a day for three weeks, and while exhausting for her, the results are paying off.

The Emerys said the main hope for Amaria was to get her walking, something they work on with her through her therapy exercises each day. They are optimistic of a medical answer for the condition in the future.

But their immediate goal is to conquer a half-marathon in Queenstown later this month – a challenge they have been trying to get over the line for some time. A Givealittle page has been set up for anyone wanting to support the runners, and in turn Amaria’s family which includes sisters Arabella, 8, and Alessandra, 7.