Waterloo toddler Lucas Town beats meningitis and swims his way to success

Apr 14 2010 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LITTLE Lucas Town has beaten meningitis and is on his way to defying a doctor’s diagnosis that he may never walk.

And now the Waterloo toddler has earned his first swimming badge, aged three-years-old.

For his parents Gail and Martin Town, it’s another example of brave Lucas beating the odds after he was born 13 weeks prematurely back in February, 2007.

He fought off meningitis during his 15 weeks in a special care baby unit where, tragically, his twin brother Reuben died when he was just 12 days old after contracting the same disease.

After Lucas developed the condition doctors told his parents that it had caused him to have high muscle tone in his legs, which meant he may never be able to walk without help.

But with the help of weekly physiotherapy sessions and special swimming classes, Lucas is paddling his way to success.

Proud mum Gail said: “With the help of a walker he took his first steps before Christmas and now he’s got a swimming badge.

“He’s quite a remarkable little boy.

“In every other way he’s just like any other three-year-old, but he has a mobility problem which means he cannot walk like everyone else.

“Our main concern after losing his brother was to make sure Lucas was okay, we still had our little boy and we wanted to fight in every way, shape and form to get the best for him.”