Story
I am running the London Marathon 2027 to support two charities close to my heart.
My daughter April was born with a brain injury that has resulted in her having diplegic cerebral palsy; she is unable to walk. Designability, through their free loan scheme, which relies solely on fundraising and donations, supplied her with her very own Wizzybug, which is a powered wheelchair for children up to the age of 5. This gave April he first experience of independence; she could explore and go where she wanted without the hold-backs.
This scheme is significant for many young children, as powered chairs aren't freely available through the NHS or are only given under very strict guidelines.
Whizz Kids will be the next line of support for April, in the hope of still enabling her to have a powered chair or a powered adaptation for her wheelchair. Self-propelling is hard work and wears her out quickly; a powered chair/adaption would enable her to play and explore for longer. Whizz Kids is the next step of support in being able to achieve this.
To be able to raise a substantial amount to give back to both of the charities that have helped my daughter so much would be an amazing achievement, as well as the support and independence it will help other children to achieve
More info on both charities and website links:
Designability provides Wizzybugs free of charge to families in the UK. They are fully funded by donations, which enables us to give them to young children to use until they outgrow it.
Wizzybug is a powered wheelchair for young disabled children under 5.
It offers children fun, independence and freedom of movement, often for the first time in their lives.
Suitable for children aged 14 months – around 5 years (a maximum weight of 20kg) to explore indoors, outdoors and off-road.
Wizzybug helps children with any condition or developmental delay that affects their ability to walk, including those who do not yet have a diagnosis.
https://designability.org.uk/assistive-solutions/wizzybug/
Whizz Kidz is the UK's leading charity supporting young wheelchair users up to 25 years old. More than 75,000 young people in the UK need a wheelchair to be mobile. Most have no access to a wheelchair that’s right for them, leaving them at risk of social isolation, poor mental health and physical injury.
Whizz Kidz provide the right equipment, skills and confidence young wheelchair users need to go further, whilst campaigning for a more open and accessible society. Every donation will get Whizz Kidz closer to their vision of a society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included.
