Your help is needed to give a young Cwmbran boy the opportunity to sleep away from home in safety.

Samuel Wilmot has a condition that requires constant supervision to ensure his safety, he has no sense of danger and cannot communicate. The risk of Samuel seriously hurting himself sleeping in conventional beds means the family have been unable to spend nights away on breaks or visit relatives who are keen to offer support and respite from their demanding caring role.

A Pippin Traveller bed would keep Samuel safe on nights away from home, putting at ease parent’s worries of the three-year-old being at risk of causing injury to himself from climbing and falling without protection.

A new travel bed will cost £1,965 and there are no grants available for the family so they have turned to Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children who are looking to raise the funds for Samuel’s new equipment in Torfaen.

“Being a very active sleeper Samuel needs to be contained and supervised at all times which makes travelling overnight impossible,” said mum Donna.

“A Pippen traveller would enable us to take Samuel on holiday and to visit grandparents in England. This would be a life changing opportunity and enhance Samuel’s quality of life greatly as well as affording us peace of mind and respite.”

Donna is urging local people to help change the lives of local children in Torfaen.

Newlife has helped 12 families in Torfaen through equipment grants and loans totalling over £10,894, so we know there is a very real county need.

That’s why Newlife – the largest charity funder of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness in the UK – recently launched the Newlife Torfaen Fund – www.newlifecharity.co.uk/torfaen. It is an opportunity for local people to help local disabled children and every penny donated or fundraised in Torfaen is guaranteed to support families in the county.

In this way we aim to help more children, more quickly.

Special disability equipment including wheelchairs, walkers, beds, seating and communication aids can help give children independence, keep them safe, relieve pain and overcome challenges. For instance, you could help a child be discharged from hospital, take their first steps or kick a football with their friends. . .

Together we can really change the lives of children with disability and terminal illness – supporting them to experience and enjoy life and all that we take for granted.

Statutory services in Torfaen often have a responsibility to make equipment provision – but when help is declined, Newlife steps in. The charity challenges many such decisions and has an impressive success rate. However, where we are unable to overturn these decisions, we would look to provide the equipment ourselves through our range of grant and loan services. We do this with the support of front-line health professionals across Torfaen who have helped Newlife help local children in real need.

The Newlife Torfaen Fund will support equipment provision for under-19s facing any significant disability, whether acquired through birth defect, prematurity, accident or illness.

Vitally, the Torfaen Fund website – www.newlifecharity.co.uk/torfaen – will enable local people to find out who needs help in the county right now and highlight the support the charity gives vulnerable families. It includes contact details for the Newlife County Liaison Team – telephone number 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.

That might involve taking part in a local sporting challenge, give you information on how to organise a fundraising event – or even ask you to donate £5 today! Volunteers are also needed to help raise awareness of what we do and how we do it.

Newlife Foundation supports families in Torfaen through a range of free services: Nurse-staffed helpline Equipment grants Emergency equipment loans Sensory and developmental toy ‘pod’ loans.

The aim of the Newlife Torfaen Fund, is to ensure children with disabilities or terminal illness in the county will not have to go without the equipment they need for everyday life.

Any monies collected surplus to requirements for Samuel would be used to provide specialist equipment for another disabled or terminally ill child in Torfaen.

Pictured: Samuel Wilmot

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