Their son lives with leukodystrophy, a condition that causes low muscle tone throughout his whole body and limits his range of purposeful movement. He also has moderate hearing loss in both ears and is non verbal. As a family, they face many challenges — but one of the biggest is that he cannot play without assistance. Most toys are too complex, too heavy, or too difficult for him to operate.

He has just one toy he can use independently: a ‘mirror chimeabout’, which he can only access while lying down.

So when the family borrowed the mini sparkly dome from Cerebra’s Toy Library, everything changed.

“Thanks so much for the toy loan, it’s been very well received.”

The dome’s size and simple operation were perfect for him. Not only did he enjoy exploring it, but it also motivated him to spend extra time in his standing frame — busy learning about cause and effect, engaged, curious and delighted.

Adapted toys can be extremely expensive, and even when families manage to gather the funds, it’s a huge risk to buy something without knowing whether their child will be able to access it or enjoy it.

“We’re very grateful to the toy library for letting us try it out.”

Being able to borrow the dome gave this family confidence, joy, and a chance to see what truly works for their son. They’re now hoping that friends and relatives might contribute towards buying one for his birthday in a few months.

Stories like this show how powerful accessible play can be — and how important it is for families to have the chance to try specialist toys before making big financial decisions.