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NEWLIFE LAUNCHES GLASGOW APPEAL TO CHANGE CHILDREN’S LIVES – JUST LIKE PAIGE’S

The family of local Glasgow girl Paige Meighan are backing the launch of an appeal to provide specialist equipment for children with disabilities in the city.

Paige’s parents are so glad to be getting a specialist car seat to keep her safe when she is travelling to her many hospital appointments that they are urging local people to help change the lives of other local children.

Right now, there are six children with disabilities or a terminal illness in Glasgow who need your help to get the specialist equipment that will really change their lives. That’s why leading UK children’s disability charity Newlife Foundation is launching the Newlife Glasgow Fund – www.newlifecharity.co.uk/glasgowcity. It is an opportunity for local people to help local disabled children and every penny donated or fundraised in Glasgow is guaranteed to support vulnerable families in the area.

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. . . .

You can help Newlife help more children like Paige (full story below).

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.

Newlife has already helped 30 children in Glasgow through equipment grants and loans totalling more than £64,000, so we know there is a very real need for a specific county fund. In this way we aim to help more children, more quickly.

Statutory services in Glasgow 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 provide the equipment ourselves through our range of grant and loan services. We do this with the support of front-line health professionals across Glasgow who have helped Newlife help local children in real need.

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

Vitally, the Newlife Glasgow Fund website – www.newlifecharity.co.uk/glasgowcity will enable local people to find out who needs help in their county right now and highlight the support the charity gives vulnerable 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.

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.

We hope that by launching the Newlife Glasgow Fund, children with disabilities or terminal illness in the county won’t have to go without the equipment they need for everyday life.

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

SPECIALIST CAR SEAT WILL KEEP PAIGE SAFE

Four-year-old Paige Meighan from Govan needs a specialist car seat to keep her safe when she is travelling to her many medical appointments. But the equipment is expensive – £865 – and local statutory services will not provide it.

On the advice of Paige’s occupational therapist, parents John and Michelle applied to Newlife Foundation for help. Recognising the urgency of their situation, Newlife has fast-tracked the application and the family will receive the equipment shortly.

Dad John Meighan said: “Paige has severe Cerebral Palsy which affects her mobility and means she can’t even hold her head up.” Paige also has Epilepsy and is tube-fed through her stomach.

“The main reason we have the car is to get Paige around and about and to all her medical appointments, but her safety has become a major concern since she has outgrown her regular car seat. At her age she should be using a booster seat, but that won’t work for Paige because she doesn’t have any head control.

John added: “We simply can’t afford the specialist car seat she needs for her size that offers all the additional support, padding and safety harnessing to keep her safe – we have three other children and another one on the way.”

The seat that is most suitable for Paige also has a swivel base so her parents can transfer her in and out of the car more easily and reclines for comfort. “She has been able to trial one of the car seats and it was perfect for her,” said John.

Pictured: Paige Meighan

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