“We know Daniel can be cared for here for the rest of his life”

12:45pm Thursday 26th April 2007

A SEVERELY disabled Evesham boy is looking forward to a brighter future with his loving family after settling into his new home. The move has been made possibly by a long legal battle fought on his behalf. Steve Mather has been to meet him.

Daniel Groves, aged 12, suffers from both quariplegic cerebral palsy and erbs palsy, due to mistakes that were made by medical staff before he was even born.

Last December, after a lengthy legal battle, the family was awarded £4.75m in compensation which is now being used to provide Daniel with a better quality of life.

Parents Richard and Ingrid have made use of the money by creating a home which their son can grow up in, with particular emphasis on space so that Daniel can be cared for more easily and feel more like part of the family.

Richard said: "The amount of room we have here is phenomenal and Dan benefits greatly from that. In our old house we had so much equipment in so little space, everything was on top of each other.

"All the doorways have been widened and we can now get either side of Danny's bed to get him ready to go to sleep. He can also come and watch TV with us in the front room with no hassle and go outside into the garden, which he really likes.

"We know Daniel can be cared for here for the rest of his life and the piece of mind that ensures is one of the main things."

Ingrid added: "There was no two ways about it, we had to move to be able to care for him properly. We were looking all over the country for a place but the people of Evesham were so supportive before and after the case that we thought we had to stay in the area."

The house includes a sensory room, therapy room, bedroom, bathroom, carers' facilities and a conservatory. Daniel and his parents live in the house with his older sister Lisa, aged 25, and Michael, 20, his other brother Chris also lives in the area.

The compensation is being paid by Worcestershire NHS Acute Trust after doctors and community midwives failed to spot that Ingrid had developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Daniel's shoulders also became stuck during delivery, depriving him of oxygen.

Richard was keen to point out that it was Daniel's money, not theirs and it was his name on the deeds.

The money has been allocated to provide for Daniel up until his 50th birthday, which is his estimated life expectancy.

Daniel attends Rose Hill school in Worcester, which he loves according to Ingrid. He is soon to benefit from a new playground in his back garden and a hydrotherapy pool is being planned.

"The money has made a whole lot of difference and improved his quality of life no end. This house makes it so much easier to give Daniel the right care and it feels like a weight has been lifted," said Ingrid.

Richard added: "Daniel's happiness is of paramount importance. As long as he is happy, we are happy and we think that is the case here."

Sarah Mullen, associate solicitor with law firm Irwin Mitchell, represented the Groves Family in their legal battle to obtain compensation.

She said: "The money which Daniel will receive annually for the remainder of his life will pay for his very extensive needs, in particular, specialised equipment and round the clock care.

"All of Daniel's compensation has been carefully calculated so that he can be provided for both now and in the years to come."

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