Josh is 19 yrs old from Wigan and lives with his Mum & Dad and 2 dogs. At 2 yrs old Josh was diagnosed with the rare condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Degeneration, weakening & tightening of his muscles meant he was in a wheelchair at 9 yrs old. Gradually he has lost use of his arms, hands, shoulders and neck so he can just about drive his wheelchair and can no longer hold his own head up. Josh uses special equipment to use a computer & help with day to day life. He is on meds for the weakening of his heart & uses a ventilation machine at night and part of the day to support his lungs and breathing. Josh is prone to chest infections & has suffered 2 episodes of pneumonia, both of which we nearly lost him to. He has also had a recent diagnosis of seizures/epilepsy, during which he goes into respiratory arrest, this means constant observation and trips to the hospital.
Josh is a caring, passionate & hardworking young man who puts people before himself and despite his daily challenges is often a 'Pioneer/Trailblazer' doing things first & leading the way for other disabled/wheelchair users. He has an amazing capacity to overcome challenges, recover from major illnesses & face adversity with strength, humour & compassion and never feels sorry for himself.
Josh has worked hard at school/college to achieve his dream of going to Uni & becoming a film director. Despite several weeks in hospital & almost losing his life twice, he returned to College to achieve a Distinction*Distinction and secure a place at UClan to study a BA Hons in Film & Media this September. He also received a Vocational Excellence Award, being Study Support Exceptional Student of the Year 2016-2017.
Josh has been mad about films since the age of 2 and wanted to be a film director since age 3. His favorite directors include Spielberg, Kubrick, Tarantino & Carpenter. and needs to use the summer house at the end of the garden to script write and achieve his dream which is why we need the lift!