This week, 52 Lives travelled to the South West to visit two incredible and inspiring schools - Mitton Manor Primary in Tewkesbury and Heart of the Forest in Community Special School in Coleford.

Our Director of Kindness Greig had the most wonderful time with both the staff and the children. The children from both schools fully encapsulated everything that kindness stands for and we all had the most incredible morning chatting about the social and physical benefits that kind acts can bring to ourselves and our communities. 

Heart of the Forest School educates children and young people with severe and profound learning difficulties and complex needs. This was the first special school that 52 Lives has visited and Greig was utterly inspired by the love and support these children have for both each other and our life of the week.

After two extremely interactive and entertaining powerpoint presentations the children were told about our life of the week - a 9 year old boy called Max.

When Max was born he was unresponsive and blue, with bruising to his head. He suffered blood poisoning and acute renal failure as a result of meconium in his lungs. He was small, despite being born at full term, and had 2 cysts and a blood clot in his brain. He was given 72 hours to live, but survived with medical intervention and pure determination but sadly, it has resulted in an awful lot of complications.

The first few years of Max’s life was filled with constant illness and hospital appointments. He was diagnosed with secondary lung disease, and with hypermobility and hypotonia, which made him very floppy. He couldn’t hold his head up until he was 8 months old, and didn’t crawl until he was 2. He has been walking since he was 4, but only with constant physical support. He had to have an operation when he was 1, and has had a feeding tube since he was 3 years old.

This brave little boy has been through so much and 52 Lives wanted to do something kind for him and we knew just the people to help us - the wonderful children at Mitton Manor Primary and Heart of the Forest. Upon hearing Max's story the children could not wait to do something kind for him. Gifts, cards, games and even a play were just some of the things the children made for Max. The love and support these children showed Max was incredible and Greig left the school completely inspired by the children at this beautiful school. 

Scroll down to see just a few of the things the children got up to - 

xx

Mitton Manor Primary School 

Greig with some of the inspiring children at Heart of the Forest Community Special School

The amazing and brave Max