Seven-year-old Tamworth boy Liam Dalton is getting specialist disability seating thanks to the fundraising efforts of Midlands Co-operative staff member Linda Piper and her colleagues.
Linda – who works in the Tame Valley Post Office within the Midlands Co-operative foodstore in Wilnecote, Tamworth – took part in the Birmingham Half Marathon, raising £276 for Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children which is the Society’s staff-elected charity of the year.
Linda wanted the money to directly help a child in the Tamworth area, and now Liam, from Dordon, is set to get the specialist seating – costing £502 – that he needs. The balance was paid with further Midlands Co-operative funding.
Liam’s mum Rebecca Dalton said: “Other than his wheelchair, Liam only has a rigid chair that we use for mealtimes and he can’t properly relax in either of these. Up to now he has used the settee, but we have noticed that – due to his condition – his spine has started to curve. The specialist new seat will provide postural support as well as comfort and give him somewhere to relax and play with his toys. The equipment is portable, so we will be able to take it with us when we visit family and friends.”
Linda Piper added: “I would like to thank all of my friends and colleagues who sponsored my half-marathon run in the summer. It’s fantastic to see that the money we raised will make such a positive difference to Liam and his family.”
Liam has Congenital Hydrocephalus which has resulted in long-term disabilities. The cost of the equipment prompted his parents to turn to leading UK children’s disability charity Newlife Foundation for help. Newlife, which is based in Cannock, has received more than £86,000 from the Midlands Co-operative Society since the partnership was announced in May last year.
Newlife Fundraising Manager Nora Smith said: “We are extremely grateful for the continued support of Midlands Co-operative and its dedicated members of staff who are helping to revolutionise the lives of disabled and terminally ill children across their trading area. Every penny raised goes directly to help provide the essential specialist equipment they so desperately need.”
Three Midlands Co-operative Society managers will be tackling the gruelling 26.2miles of the London Marathon in April in a bid to raise a further £7,500 for Newlife. If you would like to support the trio, go to their Just Giving website: www.justgiving.com/CoopNewlife
To date, Newlife has provided 466 items of disability equipment for children in Staffordshire, totalling £710,266.
Pictured: Liam Dalton.
Web: https://newlifecharity.co.uk Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/newlifecharity Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/newlifefoundation YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/NewlifeFoundation
