Dominic Johnson and his family popped into the River Island store at the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds to say a personal ‘thank you’ to all the staff who took part in a fundraising cycle challenge which has helped Newlife provide a specialist Tough bed for the Middleton five-year-old.

Dominic, who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder, is driven by the need for sensory feedback and routines and will bounce of his bed for an hour before he goes to sleep each night.

Grandma Christine Thornton said: “He has destroyed several beds this way – and has gashed his face open doing it.”

Dominic’s occupational therapist (OT) told her about special tough furniture, which is designed to meet sensory needs like Dominic’s. But Christine was shocked by the prices. “I just couldn’t afford it,” she said. “The OT gave me a list of charities to contact – but Newlife was the only one that could help.”

She added: “Dominic doesn’t understand risk or danger, so we are having to make our home safe for him. There are special security locks and Perspex windows – and he has dismantled my boiler three times. Everything we do revolves around his safety, so getting the new bed is making a big difference.”

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