By NATALIE GALLENTI
JANELLE Lockwood could not be more proud of her son.
Only five years ago the Melton mum thought Jaylen would not be able to enjoy the kind of life other children take for granted, but the determined youngster seems to be proving everyone wrong.
Jaylen, 10, has right hemiplegia after suffering a stroke in his mother’s womb. The disability means the youngster has limited use of the right side of his body and will require surgery on his leg as he gets older.
Janelle vividly recalls the moment she first realised something was wrong with her son. At only three-months-old he began depending on the left side of his body. Janelle immediately took him to her trusted maternal health nurse and was referred to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
However it took doctors years to diagnose him. Until the age of five Jaylen’s distraught mother was given the wrong diagnosis and was continously told he had cerebral palsy and would become more ill as time passed.
Instead he began walking at three and is now a keen swimmer, footballer and basketball player.
“I was pretty scared that he wouldn’t be able to do things like other children,” Janelle told Star.
“I always said to him ‘give it a go’, just try it and see if you like it. You might surprise yourself.”
But she needn’t have worried. At only 18-months-old Jaylen began swimming at Paul Sadler Swimland in Bacchus Marsh and Melton and has not looked back. The inspirational Melton Primary School student recently completed all of his certificates and accomplished his 1km swim.
Janelle said the team at Paul Sadler designed a program to cater for Jaylen’s disability which has allowed him to progress to a remarkably high standard of participation.
“He tries his best at everything. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
And even the modest youngster said he was pretty pleased with what he has achieved.
“I was tired and happy at the same time. Seeing everyone proud of me, made me proud too.”
