A patient's story: Valentina’s water therapy on the Costa del Sol helps living with cerebral palsy

Going from the adapted chair to the hydrotherapy bath is a major feat for Valentina. She is six years old, suffers from cerebral palsy and every week she and her family visit Fundación Cudeca's paediatric palliative care day unit, where around 20 children with cancer or terminal illnesses currently attend. There, physiotherapists, nurses, paediatricians, social workers and psychologists provide care for both families and children.

Valentina, whose illness prevents her from moving her joints normally, enters the hydrotherapy treatment room and her smile transforms. Children's music in the background, an adapted seat inside the bathtub, toys and coloured lights that she can't stop looking at. She smiles when her favourite song plays while the professionals do their work, one on each side. This technique does her a lot of good, as it helps her to move her joints and muscles in a more relaxed way than usual rehabilitation.

Her father, Marcelo Rodríguez, waits in the lounge of the day unit and her brother Bryan, is in a session with the foundation's psychologist.

"We can only be grateful. They offer care to the family and to Valentina, which is the most important thing. They help us a lot: they make the illness more bearable and the quality of our daughter's routine is much better. We don't know how many years she will be with us, but we hope that it will be many and that the years she lives will be spent in the best possible way," said Marcelo Rodríguez in conversation with SUR.

Marcelo and his wife came to Spain a few years ago to start their family and to be able to have the best treatments for Valentina, who was born with infantile cerebral palsy.

"My wife, when she was pregnant in Brazil, was bitten by a mosquito and got the Zika virus. We were not 100% sure that during her childhood would develop some kind of illness, but she was born this way, with these limitations. At first we didn't know exactly what the medication would be, but she was soon treated at the Costa del Sol Hospital, where she was admitted. It was at that moment that we came across Fundación Cudeca and we have never left their side because they do essential work to help families like us," said Marcelo.

During the conversation he is always grateful for all the help he and his family receive: "In addition to Bryan, Valentina's little sisters also come and participate in the play sessions, they always have a way to solve everything... They constantly ask us how we are doing and give us advice on what we have to do," Valentina's father added.

"She is our life, we don't leave her alone for a moment and there are times when, even when we're feeling down or sad for whatever reason, she brings out a smile and makes us forget everything. When you see her, you start to think about the simple things in life that we don't usually value, but she does...", Marcelo said with emotion.

Before the hydrotherapy session, the first thing is the paediatrician's check-up. Ana Devesa discusses with Marcelo how the week has gone and checks that any symptoms are under medical control. After the initial check-up, she goes to the hydrotherapy room.

"In the event of someone's health getting worse, as for example with Valentina, we would have to go to see her at home and give her the care she needs, coordinating with both her health centre and the hospital and, if it is necessary to admit her, to manage with colleagues to do so as quickly as possible," explained paediatrician Ana Devesa.

"For us, who have all of Valentina's care as part of our routine, the afternoon we come to Cudeca is essential to switch off and to be able to unburden ourselves with the professionals who best advise us about Valentina," said her father, Marcelo Rodríguez, who also participates in the artistic and leisure activities offered by Cudeca so that family members feel accompanied and, above all, taking a break from their usual situation at home.