Shielding Declan’s plea for others to stick to lockdown restrictions
CALLS TO CONSIDER PEOPLE VULNERABLE WHO HOPE TO GO OUT AGAIN
A YOUNG man with muscular dystrophy has pleaded with people to stick to the lockdown rules so that the vulnerable and elderly can one day hope to come out of shielding.
Declan Spencer, 22, of Syston, said: “I would like people to think for a minute - it’s not just older people who could die from coronavirus.
“There are also young disabled people who are having to stay inside as the risk of them getting Covid-19 could be deadly, too.
“So please, stop breaching restrictions. Just listen to the rules so you can enjoy the rest of your life.
“The longer this goes on, the more it’s taking up the short time some people might have on this Earth.”
Declan has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes his muscles to weaken and waste over time.
When he was diagnosed aged eight, his mother Alexandra was told he was unlikely to live until his 18th birthday.
Over time he has eventually lost the strength in his legs and now uses a wheelchair full-time.
He used to use a hand-operated car but during his time locked inside his muscles have weakened him to the point he is unable to drive.
Alexandra, 39, added that Declan has not seen his cardiologist since the start of the pandemic and that they still don’t know when he’s going
The longer this goes on, the more it’s taking up the short time some people might have on this Earth
Declan, 22
to have his next appointment.
She said he had also had to abandon plans to celebrate his 22nd birthday due to coronavirus.
She said: “The hardest thing is this could be his last birthday. We just don’t know.
“We’ve not been able to do so many things.
“What is so important is making every day matter for Declan.
“His mental health really went downhill when people began to get back to normal. I’ve heard sentences from him like ‘What’s the point anymore?’
“He’s not living, he’s just existing.” She said she wished the government would take more steps to limit infections, such as closing gyms and making holidays illegal.
She said: “In an ideal world things that don’t need to be opened, like gyms, should be closed.
“Things that are ultimately a luxury, like a holiday, shouldn’t be allowed.
“That way we can help contain the spread of Covid-19.
“If telling our story makes even one person think twice about going to the pub, or breaking lockdown, then that’s worth something.”