A 10-year-old boy from Northampton with a rare life-threatening condition has received a new powered wheelchair thanks to local fund-raising.
Lewis Herbert has been given a specialist Mustang powered wheelchair worth £9,400 which was jointly funded by Caudwell Children and Action For Kids.
Lewis has a condition called Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, which causes him to have hundreds of different seizures every day and means he requires round-the-clock care. Sadly, despite trying more than 15 different forms of medication, nothing has been able to control his seizures.
Mum, Lexi, says Lewis’ new chair will give their family a “new lease of life” by enabling them to enjoy family time away from their home, something they have not been able to do.
The specialist powered chair has an oxygen carrier, tilt and recline function as well as allowing Lewis to be raised and lowered whenever needed.
Because equipment like this is not available on the NHS, Caudwell Children and Action For Kids are lifelines for families caring for a disabled child.
Lewis, whose parents Lexi and Gary have both had to give up work to provide adequate care for the youngster, will now be able to enjoy quality time together outside the family home.
Mum, Lexi Herbert, said: “Lewis is severely disabled and he requires two people to constantly care for him. He has trouble swallowing and he can forget to breathe, which means we are always on edge waiting to help him.
“The donation of this Mustang Powered Wheelchair for Lewis will totally transform his, and our, lives for many reasons.
“It will enable us to take Lewis on walks in parks and forests, travel around town or go on days out as a family, which we haven’t been able to do. He will love this change of scenery and he will enjoy that. It will greatly enhance all of our lives. We have already been able to take Lewis on the tree top walk at Salcey Forest which was wonderful and something which most people take for granted. He looks so comfortable and happy in his new chair which means so much to us both.
“The high and low function on the chair means we will now be able to have the chair at the correct height when transferring Lewis in and out of the chair. This will prevent us damaging our backs.
Lewis will now be able to be positioned at the same height as his peers when feeding, this will help with social interaction and help him fully experience trips out like everybody else at the correct height; seeing over walls and barriers.
“The tilting mechanism on the wheelchair will enable Lewis to recover from seizures comfortably and help us easily administer food, water and medication when we’re out and about.”
Dad, Gary Herbert, added: “We cannot put into words how much Caudwell Children and Action For Kids support means to us. We always seem to be fighting a losing battle to get suitable equipment for Lewis through statutory services, which is distressful and upsetting, so it’s reassuring to know someone is on our side.
“The existence of charities like Caudwell Children and Action For Kids is absolutely vital to families like ours. They provide an essential safety net for children like Lewis – they are both amazing charities making a huge difference.
“Without their support the situation would be very simple: Lewis and children like him would have to go without suitable and vital equipment, meaning they would have no quality of life at all.”
If you would like to make a difference to a child like Lewis please email accounts@caudwellchildren.com or call 0845 300 1348, or email fundraisers@actionforkids.org or call 020 8347 8111.
To find out more about Caudwell Children and Action For Kids, visit www.caudwellchildren.com or www.actionforkids.org