Nursery World - A Unique Child: Inclusion

Staff at a pre-school were worried when they found they were going to be responsible for a child with a life-threatening blood disorder - until they learned how they could help him, says Sue Learner.

'Finn has special blood and he can't run because if he does, he may fall over and hurt himself,' says Finn's friend Dylan, who attends Benger Bears pre-school in Wiltshire.

Four-year-old Finn has haemophilia. He has attended the pre-school in Sutton Benger for over a year. The blood disorder means that his blood does not clot normally. This can cause bruising, bleeding into muscles and joints, prolonged bleeding and serious internal bleeding.

Internal bleeding can be life-threatening, while repeated bleeding in the joints can lead to arthritis or long-term joint damage. Haemorrhages into the brain are particularly difficult to manage and may be fatal.

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