One-year-old Emmie Fafera-McCullagh from Huntington in York has a rare form of Epilepsy which results in 10-15 seizures a week. Emmie, who turns two next month, is unable to sit comfortably or safely because she doesn’t have a special chair that caters to her health needs.
Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children, is appealing to local heroes in North Yorkshire to help get Emmie the special seat she needs, called a P-Pod, to give her a safe place of her own to sit comfortably.
Emmie has a functional chair and a standing frame which she uses for physiotherapy. The only places she can currently be comfortable are on the floor or in her cot.
The P-Pod however, which is a moulded seat on a beanbag style base provides comfort and appropriate support to help prevent further health issues.
Mum Jessica McCullagh said: “Because Emmie doesn’t have her own seat she has to lay on the floor most of the time. She can sit on the sofa but an adult has to be on either side to make sure she is kept safe, however this still doesn’t support her posture.”
The P-Pod will not only offer Emmie a comfortable place to relax but it will also provide a safe environment for her to recover after she has had a seizure. But with a price tag of £990 and no statutory funding available, her mum turned to Newlife, the UK’s largest charitable provider of essential equipment to meet the specialist needs of children with disabilities and terminal illness.
Jessica added: “The P-Pod will enable Emmie to interact with the family more while supporting her posture. She will be able to spend time with us in different rooms safely which also means less manual handling. It would be lovely for Emmie to have her very own seat to sit in comfortably and safely.”
If you would like to support Emmie in getting her equipment, go to: www.newlifecharity.co.uk/NorthYorkshire and click on the Donate button next to her story.
The website includes contact details for the Newlife County Liaison Team – tel no 01543 431 444 or email local@newlifecharity.co.uk – and shows specific ways people can help support children with disability and terminal illness and their families in the county.
Any funds raised above what is needed for Emmie will help pay for equipment for one of the other nine children in who need help in North Yorkshire, where Newlife has already supported 293 children with equipment totalling £250,623.
Pictured: Emmie Fafera-McCullagh
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