A car seat that is too small – and therefore unsafe – for little Ava Galley means the family don’t go out unless they really need to.
Not only that, but because the seat doesn’t support seven-year-old Ava’s complex health condition it means she is uncomfortable and gets upset during journeys, wriggling out from under the safety straps.
Ava, from Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, has a chromosome abnormality, holes in the heart and a severe learning disability; she can’t walk unaided and has a curvature of the spine. “But she is amazing,” says mum Nichola Galley.
“We don’t go out in the car unless we have to, but of course we’ve got hospital appointments, the school run, family visits and the weekly shopping trip that are all part of life. She will only tolerate the seat for about ten minutes, so any journeys longer than that are very stressful.”
She added: “Ava needs a specialist car seat to support her complex health needs but they are so expensive. We were able to contribute £1,000 from a family bequest but we still didn’t have enough.”
Now, thanks to funding from UK company Briggs Equipment Ltd, Newlife has been able to provide the remaining £1,351 needed to buy the new car seat.
This will give Ava more support for her spine and keep her comfortable; it also has a safety harness so she is secure and a swivel base so her parents can easily get to her when she is ill.
Nichola added: “Getting the good news from Newlife has come at just the right time. We have been offered a family holiday in Cornwall but the seven-hour journey there would be a nightmare without a replacement seat.”
Briggs Equipment Ltd has adopted Newlife as its Charity of the Year and staff across the UK are involved in a series of fundraising challenges and activities, with every single penny raised going directly to fund vital equipment like Ava’s.
Newlife Deputy Community Fundraising Manager Chris Fielding said: “We are really grateful to Briggs’ staff for their amazing support – which is helping to change the lives of disabled and terminally ill children across the UK.
“The UK has more disabled children than ever before and without Newlife thousands would go without the essential equipment they need. Newlife helps change lives every day, but we can’t do this alone. Please help us to help our disabled children.”
If you think you could help children in Greater Manchester, go to: www.newlifecharity.co.uk/greatermanchester for further details. Alternatively, contact the Newlife Supporter Relations Team on 01543 462777 or email local@newlifecharity.co.uk.
Pictured: Ava Galley
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