Local News
- £4million Cardiff Mental Health Centre *NEW*
- Funding Denied for Continuation at Academy *NEW*
- Community Support for Miracle Baby
- Cynon Quilters
- Rhondda Cynon Taff's New School Bus Service
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£4million Cardiff Mental Health Centre
A new centre exploring mental disabilities through genetics has just been launched in Cardiff.
The £4million Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics will be based at Cardiff University and will do research into mental disabilities such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The centre will also study disabilities such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dyslexia and childhood depression. It will offer a major-commitment to support research and provide training for non-medical PHD students and doctors.
The centre has been supported by the Medical Research Centre and has investment has come from the Welsh Assembly Government and from Cardiff University. First Minister Rhodri Morgan launched the centre at the School of Medicine.
The director of the centre, Professor Mike Owen, hopes the centre will help to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental disabilities.
In an interview with the BBC he said, “The stigma is still there. But when people see these are diseases like physical diseases the stigma starts to go.”
Funding Denied for Continuation at Academy
Georgia Davis, 16, has been denied funding for an extra year at Wellspring Academy, an academy that has been created in order to help people loose weight.
Georgia was given a scholarship to the academy after her weight reached 33 stone and she was told by doctors that she could die any moment.
After being at the academy for almost a year, Georgia has lost 12 stone thanks to the intensive diet and fitness programme. Georgia has already impressed medics by dropping the weight so quickly. Now, her Type II diabetes has disappeared, her body mass index went down 29 points and she has the blood pressure and resting heart rate of a normal teenager.
However, Georgia would like to stay at the academy for another year in order to reach her target weight of 11 stone and friends and family are worried that when she returns to the UK she will fall into old habits and put the weight back on.
In an interview with the Cynon Valley Leader Susan Borgman, Wellspring Academy’s clinical director, said that: ‘While her weight loss is huge and her attitude inspirational, she remains an unhealthy weight. ‘Georgia is still morbidly obese. While we are actively looking to establish an academy in the UK, that option is not yet available either with us, the NHS or any other providers in the UK or the EU.’
In spite of this R.C.T Local Health Board are denying Georgia the funds to stay on at the camp. In a statement the health board said:
“We congratulate Georgia on her achievement. We would like to reassure Georgia and her family that should Georgia return to Rhondda Cynon Taff, we will assess her healthcare needs at that time and ensure that measures are put in place to help her maintain her excellent progress.”
Rhondda Cynon Taff's New School Bus Service
Disabled students were among the thousands of students that have been affected by Rhonnda Cynon Taff Council’s new school bus services. Many parents still have failed to receive their new bus passes in the post, over a month into the new academic year.
In an interviews with the “Cynon Valley Leader” a parent stated: “My five-year-old son Thomas is on the autistic spectrum, and like lots of other autistic children, it takes time for him to get to know people.”
“The first day of term is a big deal for children and their parents, but because of the autism it is even more important a clear routine is established early.”
Rhonnda Cynon Taff Council have apologised to all students and parents for the fiasco and has promised a full investigation, with all findings being made public.
You can read more about this story at www.walesonline.co.uk
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Cynon Quilters
Prince Charles Hospital’s special baby care unit has benefited from the work of the Cynon Quilters, twelve ladies who spend their weekends making quilts for incubated babies.
The Cynon Quilters meet weekly at St. Mary Magdalene’s church hall in Cwmbach, and through out last year they managed to create 18 quilts that play a vital role softening the glare of twenty-four hour incubator light for babies.
Sharon Draper, of the Cwm Taf NHS said: “Previously they have given quilts to Ty Hafan, the Bishop of Llandaff Mother and Baby Unit, and the Linus Project, which is a worldwide organisation providing cuddle quilts for disadvantaged children.
“The staff of Prince Charles special care unit are delighted to receive the quilts and the group hope they enjoy using them as much as they enjoyed making them.”
Community Support for Miracle Baby
Over £2,600 has been raised for Liam King, one of Britain’s youngest people to have a pacemaker.
Liam received the operation after only five days of being born with a congenital heart block. The operation was a success, however Liam then contracted MRSA. Due to this, Liam was sent to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Bristol where doctors then had to remove and replace the pacemaker to clear the infection from the original operating wound.
This week it was revealed that over £2,600 has been raised by the local community in Gwent through a sponsored walk, a balloon race and two fun nights held in Blaentillery Club.
It has been decided that £1000 will go to the ward in the Royal Children’s Hospital who nursed Liam back to health, £1000 will go into a trust fond for Liam and the £600 will be used to help buy clothes and toys for Liam and his older brother Macauley.
The team behind the fond raising was Amanda Silverthorne, Keri Silverthorne, Lyndsey Silverthorne, Jackie Evans, Lisa Collier and Joyce Collier.
Liam’s mother, Ann Collier in an interview with the Gwent Gazette thanked everyone for their continued support and help:
“We were really happy and thought it was flattering that so many people are still thinking about us. Liam is fine now, he is doing really well and we would like to thank everyone who has raised money during this collection.”