When siblings are close in age it’s always nice as a parent to watch them interact and play together, forming a bond that will last forever.
Twenty-month-old Gabriel from Nottingham needs a specialist seat that will give him the essential support needed while allowing him to play with his siblings. Unfortunately, Gabriel doesn’t have this and is unable to play with his brothers and sister – he can only watch. So Newlife Foundation is appealing to local heroes in Nottinghamshire to help get Gabriel the specialist chair he desperately needs.
Gabriel Lefevre is one of four children including his twin sister Aimee. He has a rare genetic condition, Tuberous Sclerosis, which causes tumours to develop on his major organs, and as a result he also has Epilepsy and developmental delay in addition to low muscle tone and is unable to sit unaided.
Gabriel currently sits in a standard high-chair which doesn’t offer any postural support and does not cater to his medical needs. He has regular appointments with his physiotherapist – however not having the correct seating at home is hindering his progress.
Mum Jane Lefevre said: “It’s very difficult because Gabriel does not have the correct equipment, it does not support him well at all. The standard chair makes simple tasks like feeding him much harder, he always looks like he is slumping in it. He has a sleeping system to try and straighten out his knees but the high-chair doesn’t do anything to help and it does not support his head either.”
In order to prevent postural deformities and to support him while at home the family turned to Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children – the UK’s leading charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness – to get the £2,304 seat that will provide Gabriel with the support he needs.
Jane added: “With the new chair life at home would be so much better for him. At the moment it’s such a shame as he can only watch his brothers and twin sister play together – he can’t sit up on his own so he always needs to be supported.”
With your help Gabriel can get the specialist seat he needs – and as the chair functions so that the height can be changed he would be able to be on the same level as everyone else – from eating around the table to playing on the floor with his siblings, the chair would create opportunities for him that at the moment are not possible.
Gabriel’s is one of 22 families currently working with Newlife to secure the specialist equipment they need, totalling £8,913. Newlife has provided 370 families in Nottinghamshire with disability equipment – including beds, wheelchairs, seating and sensory aids – worth almost £316,000. If you would like to help Gabriel and his family, go to: https://newlifecharity.co.uk/Nottinghamshire and click on the Donate Now button beside his story. The website includes information about how Newlife supports families of disabled and terminally ill children in Nottinghamshire and ways in which people can help.
Newlife guarantees that 100 per cent of the money donated to help Gabriel will be used to fund his specialist seat. Any surplus funding will help provide equipment for other disabled children within the county.
For full details of Newlife Foundation’s range of practical support for disabled and terminally ill children and their families, call the Newlife Nurse Helpline – 0800 902 0095 (free from UK landlines and mobiles) – or go to: https://newlifecharity.co.uk
Pictured: Gabriel Lefevre
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