Twins Ayley and Chloe welcomed home with Carnoustie party
Carnoustie twins Ayley and Chloe Hirsch have been given a homecoming to remember after life-changing surgery to give them the use of their legs.
Friends and family at the party in the Station Hotel.
- By Richard Watt
- Published in the Courier : 13.02.12
- Published online : 13.02.12 @ 01.13pm
Their mother, Averil, told The Courier she is touched by the attention the girls have received since their flight from America touched down last week.
A crowd of family and friends gathered at the Station Hotel to welcome the girls back following their a selective dorsal rhizotomy procedure (SDR) to remove spasticity from their legs.
They have begun life as a family anew, following a journey that has transformed their lives.
''I've been astounded by the response from everyone since we got back,'' Averil said. ''It's really touching and the phone's been ringing off the hook. It has been hard to try and get everything back to normal, but we are getting there.''
Ayley and Chloe have had three weeks of daily physiotherapy following their operations at St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri.
The twins suffer from cerebral palsy and were unable to stand or walk unaided before the procedures with surgeon Dr TS Park.
Since the surgeries on January 10, Ayley is now able to take steps with her sticks, while Chloe has also been making great strides in her walker.
There was even more good news for the Hirsch family, as Angus Council has moved them into an ideal new home.
The house at Links Avenue is among 12 council properties that have just been completed, and was on show in December to allow tenants to view the quality of design the council is delivering in its new-build programme.
Of the houses, 10 are part of a larger development of the former Kinloch School site, on schedule to be completed this year.
Averil said the family had moved in to the show home, one of the former school site houses, and were very pleased with it.
''We have all the adjustments and amenities the girls need and there's lots of space,'' she said. ''After the operation and the move, everything seems to be going so well. We just want to get on and live normal lives.''
On their return, Ayley and Chloe were reunited with their older sister Lilly and dad Frazer. Mr Hirsch had to return home from the US earlier than Averil and the girls due to work commitments.
Photo © Jim Ratcliffe
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