A WORCESTER family are on the lookout for kind-hearted city residents to help raise the cash needed to help their five-year-old son join in games with his friends.
Bobby Allen, from Fernhill Heath, has Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3, a genetic condition which affects the nerves which control muscle movement.
But despite his disability, the five-year-old is eager to try different sports with the assistance of a special standing frame.
And with the help of the Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, Bobby’s family are hoping ‘local heroes’ will come forward and help raise £2,000 for the vital piece of equipment.
Should the target be reached, the frame would allow Bobby to spend time out of his wheelchair and give him independence to try new things.
Although it is a degenerative condition, Bobby is currently stable and uses a manual chair to manoeuvre around school and a power chair for when he is outside, but a standing frame would allow him much more freedom.
With £668 already raised, Bobby’s mum, Ally, said the equipment would be a big help.
“It would mean a lot to us all. At the end of the day Bobby is five-years-old and wants to be the same as his friends,” she said.
“He won’t be able to run around, but it will help him keep up with his friends for the majority of things.
“He’s a really happy little boy, a cheeky monkey, but a standing frame would mean he wouldn’t have to rely on other people to take him everywhere.
“It would also give him lots of health benefits too as his organs will work better if he is able to stand up.
“Bobby has tried out this type of standing frame and was able to get up and go to a shelf to get his own toy.
“The standing frame can also have a tray attached which means he could access the curriculum at school when he goes into year one in September,” she added.
With a talent for art, the standing frame will allow Bobby to stand at an easel, as well as try new sports such as tennis and play in the garden with his 16-month-old brother Freddie.
Ally said: “When his dad, Stuart, and I found out Bobby had SMA we worried what the future would hold, but now we just look at things in a different way and see how else we can do things.
“Bobby has the same mind-set, he knows what his body can’t do, but he works out how he can do things a different way,” she added.
To find out how you can support Bobby, go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk/worcestershire read his story and click the ‘Donate Now’ button.
Alternatively, contact the Newlife County Liaison Team on 01543 431 444 or e-mail [email protected].
