A four-year-old facing major surgery will be able to travel pain-free, thanks to a new specialist car seat funded through a charity partnership.

Olivia Treeby from Chester, Cheshire has abnormal flexed hip sockets and needs specialist footwear to walk. In order to travel in the family car Olivia needed a specialist car seat to provide essential support after her operation.

She had been travelling in a standard car seat, but this was not suitable as it would not accommodate her Hip Spica, which is a type of plaster that covers both legs from the ankles up to her stomach, so she can be comfortable on Journeys.

Mum Nicole Luijnenburg said: “Because of Olivia’s hip dysplasia she needs to be comfortable. She was growing out of her rear facing car seat, it was quite narrow putting pressure onto her hips. After the surgery she needs a seat with enough room so the healing process can take place without any added pressure from a small car seat.”

With the specialist equipment costing £665, and no statutory funding available Olivia’s family turned to Newlife Foundation – the UK’s leading charity funder of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness.

Thanks to funding from the Morgan Foundation, Olivia is now travelling in her new specialist car seat which will support her as she grows. The new car seat will allow Olivia and her parents to travel freely without worrying how her hip will develop after the surgery in an ill-fitted car seat.

“Getting the new car seat has definitely put our minds at ease, Olivia’s old car seat would not have been able to support her after hip surgery. She will be in pain for quite some time – the new seat will ensure that she is kept safe and in as much comfort as she can be after the operation,” said Nicole.

Nicole added: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Newlife and the Morgan Foundation for funding Olivia’s car seat, we really appreciate all the help.”

The Morgan Foundation is working with Newlife to ensure more children with disabilities and terminal illness get the right equipment at the right time. This includes wheelchairs, buggies and walkers for mobility, specialist car seats and beds for safety and a range of other disability equipment including communication aids, walking frames, portable hoists and seating systems.

A Morgan Foundation fundraising golf day and gala dinner in support of Newlife held last year raised £450,000 to provide vital specialist equipment specifically for families across North Wales, Merseyside, West Cheshire, North Shropshire and parts of the West Midlands.

Steve Morgan, chairman of The Morgan Foundation, said: “Having a vital aid like this means the health prospects and enjoyment of children like Olivia can be improved. Everyone who took part in our golf day or attended the gala dinner has helped – and will continue to help – make a real difference.”

Newlife Foundation is a national charity which works extensively with families across the region and has funded £ 493,462 of equipment for 365 children in Cheshire. To find out more about Newlife’s work in the county, go to: www.newlifecharity.co.uk/cheshire

For further information about The Morgan Foundation visit the website, www.morganfoundation.co.uk or call 01829 782800.

If you would like to find out more about Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and how to access its services, call the Newlife Nurse Helpline on 0800 902 0095 (free from UK landlines) or go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk.

Pictured: Olivia Treeby

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