Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Quinn, three, on a 30-mile mission
Prosthetic leg ‘triumph’ for toddler
SHE might be small but Quinn Stansfield walks tall as the threeyear-old tackles a charity challenge to make Captain Tom proud using her prosthetic leg.
The youngster is walking a mile a day throughout April despite being born without her lower left leg.
Her mission is to boost the funds of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital who cared for her and her mum Natasha Thomas when she had leukaemia as a child.
Natasha, 28, said: “Quinn sometimes doesn’t like wearing her leg and needs to practise walking on it.
“We did a trial run and were amazed when she completed it. We set a target of £300 but she’s gone way over.”
Natasha and partner James, 30, of Burnley, Lancs, were “thrilled” to find out she was pregnant after chemotherapy in childhood left her in doubt about her fertility.
She said: “I was four when I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and got the all-clear at 13. I panicked I’d never be able to conceive.” But at the 20-week scan, they were told Quinn’s left leg had not grown properly.
Natasha, a web content administrator, said: “We’ve never had a full explanation why. It’s just a mystery. We were devastated but the worry has subsided because we see how well she copes.” Quinn received her first prosthetic leg at nine months old and was walking aged two.
Natasha said: “To see her walk was amazing. She has a real fighting spirit.”
Quinn has so far raised £2,380 for the hospital charity’s 30 Miles My Way challenge, following in the wake of Capt Sir Tom Moore, the 100-year-old who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden.
Natasha added: “Her stamina and confidence are improving. She is an inspiration but has no idea.”
The 30-mile distance is the average walked by the nursing staff a week. The charity’s Viv Williamson said: “Getting to the end will be such a triumph.”
To see her walk was amazing, she has a real fighting spirit NATASHA THOMAS ON THEIR PRIDE IN DAUGHTER