My name is Cameron Mitchell and I live in Carlisle, Cumbria.

When I was about 1 my mum and dad were told that my brain wasn't growing and developing like other children my age. No one really knew why but everyone was hopeful that 1 day I would be able to do all the things other kids my age did. It was quite a scary time for us all and I had to see lots of doctors and other clever people.

I am now 15 and unfortunately I never did manage to do all those things my friends and little brother can do. I am permanently in a wheelchair and have had to have lots of operations of my spine and my hips. I have to be fed by a tube in my tummy and need someone to look after me all the time as I have fits too

I live with my mum and my little brother, and see my dad and my step mum at weekends and family when I can. I shout out loud a lot but no one understands what I'm trying to tell them because, you see, I can't speak! I can't really communicate anything other than smiling when I'm happy and crying when I am in pain.

I have never ever been able to say hi mum and this makes HER very sad.

The special school I go to have tried very hard to help me communicate using my hands on switches but this is hard for me as I can't control my hands and my brain screams move but my hands don't listen and this makes ME sad.

School have started to help me use some equipment called eye gaze and I'm very slowly being able to use this to make little things happen on the computer screen - it's good fun too :-)

My mum wants to buy some similar equipment that I can use every day at home but it costs a lot of money - over £3000, probably more like £7000 to get the most appropriate to my needs - so my family are going to do lots of fund raising to help with this.

I hope that people will help me because one day in the future I'd love to be able to say on a computer screen HI MUM I LOVE YOU X

Thank you for reading my story and for helping

Love

Master Cameron Luke Mitchell - age 15