Six-year-old Syrus Beet loves to be in perpetual motion, especially on his trampoline, which, before Satan’s Little Helper and Jumpflex stepped in, was a little worse for wear.
When Syrus emerges from his house, blinking, into the harsh light of day, his senses are already heightened. Because of his sensory processing disorder, the sun hurts his eyes. He can’t see properly, which increases his anxiety.
Then he makes out the shape of an insect moving towards him. It’s flying through the air and appears as if it’s gunning for him; it might want to sting him, and that’s scary.
All of a sudden, his fight or flight instincts kick in and Syrus flees the scene – his brain moving at a million miles an hour.
“When that happens, we have to bring him back to the here and now because he gets fixated on whatever is freaking him out,” says his mum, Majinta.
Motion seeker
Syrus’s autism means he can take a while to relax after an incident like that. It also means he has a sensory need to be in almost-perpetual motion, explains Majinta.
“Even though he gets wicked motion sickness, which leads him to power spew, he seeks out spinning and motion! He’s always got to be on the move, which can make things difficult if he’s stuck inside because he’s afraid of insects.”
One way Majinta was able to get her boy into the garden was via their trampoline, which she admits had seen better days.
“It didn’t have a net around it, so I was constantly on red alert when he was using it. The padding had also started to fray and it was becoming unsafe.”
Jumping for joy
So, to give Syrus a vital piece of equipment and Majinta some peace of mind, Satan’s Little Helper partnered with the kind folks at Jumpflex, who sent over a premium trampoline for free!
“It’s honestly been such a life saver,” says Majinta. “It has a net and a zip, so he’s a lot more comfortable playing on it because he knows that an insect is less likely to get him. You can tell he’s heaps more relaxed and you can see him go into his own little world.”
Syrus has just started school but can only manage a few hours a day. When he’s there, he ‘masks’, which means his brain is fizzing but working overtime to keep his body still.
“By the time I pick him up, he’s like a coke bottle that has been shaken for three hours. As soon as you get home, it’s like taking the lid off the coke – he just explodes.”
Thanks to Jumpflex’s generosity, Syrus has a safe space to let out all his pent-up energy and feelings.
Majinta says he can be on the trampoline for hours. “It’s his safe haven. Because of it, he’s happier during the day and a lot less frustrated.”
It has also given Syrus and his big sister Saskia a reason to put aside their sibling rivalry and re-connect.
“They love to get on the trampoline together,” says Majinta. “She’s taught him how to do forward flips and some other tricks; they’ve really bonded on it.”