A simple piece of specialist equipment will soon be keeping little Elisha Mae Clarke safe and comfortable on car journeys – thanks to fabulous fundraisers in West Yorkshire.
Two local people have come forward to donate to the Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children appeal to provide a £684 car seat. One donation, for £624, means the equipment is now fully funded.
A mystery donor from Halifax (Northowram) is the generous person behind this donation. She said: “It was a spur of the moment thing really. I bought myself a copy of the local paper and read an article about how Newlife was helping another little girl in the county, with local help, and I thought how nice it was of those donors.
“I took a look at Newlife’s website page for West Yorkshire and saw the story about Elisha Mae needing a specialist car seat. I thought ‘I would like to help’ – it was a simple as that. Her story touched me, particularly as she is a local girl.”
Elisha, aged four and from the Ovenden area of Halifax, has the neuromuscular condition Rett Syndrome combined with the spinal condition scoliosis and epilepsy. She is losing her acquired skills and is becoming more dependent on her family for everyday care needs.
Mum Kirstie Aitchison said: “I would like to say a big thank you to this lady for her kindness. I can’t begin to tell you how much of a difference this will make to our lives.”
A booster seat isn’t appropriate for Elisha and standard child seats just aren’t big enough. Kirstie added: “Her occupational therapist told us about specialist travel seats and Elisha has been able to try one – she seemed comfortable and much happier. This equipment will also help prevent further problems with her hips by keeping her legs in line.”
With the specialist car seat costing £684 and no statutory funding available, Kirstie turned to the UK’s leading charity funder of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness – Newlife Foundation.
In West Yorkshire, Newlife has provided in excess of £348,000 of disability equipment – including beds, wheelchairs, seating and sensory aids – for 290 children.
In response to the growing need in the county, earlier this year the charity launched its Newlife West Yorkshire Fund. The fund’s website – www.newlifecharity.co.uk/westyorkshire – enables local people to find out who needs help in their area right now and highlights the support the charity gives families. It 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.
Pictured: Elisha Mae Clarke
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