June appeal for Tom

 

"Tom is such a wonderful little guy, always laughing and giggling. He leaves a little imprint on everyone he meets."  - Tom's Dad

I'd like to tell you about Tom, and how you can help to transform his life. Tom is 16 years old and has spastic quadriplegia, a condition where all his limbs are affected by cerebral palsy. He also has communication difficulties. He has a wonderfully sunny personality and really enjoys attending school. But there's so much more he could get out of life.

If we really pull the stops out, together we could give this lovely young man the opportunity to communicate using words for the first time in all his 16 years by funding a special communication board.

Tom has complex needs and as present communicates with his family by eye-pointing, facial expressions, and noises to express whether he likes or dislikes something. If we can raise enough funds, together we could give Tom the chance to communicate with words for the first time in his life.

The key to making this happen is a Handicare ‘Alex' wheelchair - a terrific powered wheelchair which would give him every support he needs to get more out of life. These chairs cost £13,342 - an amount which I hope our wonderfully generous supporters can help to raise. This chair is specifically designed to hold the sophisticated communication devices that I mentioned just now. But to be honest, every single part of the chair has the potential to transform an aspect of Tom's life.

The wheelchair we want to buy for Tom has a rising seat - something you could help to fund by donating today. How could a seat help to change his life? Well, at family mealtimes he has to sit away from the table as his current wheelchair doesn't have an adjustable seat height. This may seem like a small thing but it deeply affects Tom's quality of life, making him feel separate from his loving family at a part of the day when everyone wants to be together.

I hope you'll join me in making a big imprint on Tom's life by sending a gift today. To send a gift today please click here.