This is Tom.
He is a beautiful, cheeky, 7 year old, who loves life.
He likes Mr Tumble, camping and going out on his trike the most.
Tom is unaware that he has a life-limiting degenerative condition of an unclassified leukodystrophy and according to the professionals is on borrowed time. He also has Global Developmental Delay, which means he struggles with not only his mobility, but also communication (uses Makaton) and all other areas of development.
For Tom, everyday tasks are difficult and tiring even with the many aides he uses, but he never stops smiling.
As his parents we try to make every day as special as possible, make memories and experiences whilst he still can. We want Tom to be able to do everything other children can and advocate his independence and inclusion.
We would like to adapt our garden to make it 'Tom-safe' and future proof. Tom loves being outside and wants his independence but currently he is unable to move about on the grass in his wheelchair or walking frame and stumbles on any slightly uneven surfaces. We are not looking for anything fancy, just to level it out, remove the concrete paths and add the wheel-friendly fake grass AstroTurf. Unfortunately this costs quite a lot of pennies that we simply don't have.
It is heart-breaking to see him struggling, desperate to join in, therefore prompting my plea.
I am not really comfortable asking for help but this is for Tom and making his life easier.
I am hoping for support from friends and family to organise events.
Any donation, however small, would be much appreciated.