Help children in need to live the life they deserve
NEWLIFE, the Charity for Disabled Children is calling on local heroes to come forward to raise funds for 21 disabled and terminally ill children in Lancashire who are in desperate need of disability equipment.
Newlife needs to raise £39,622 to provide all 21 children with disability equipment they urgently need to reduce pain, prevent their conditions from deteriorating and to help them do things most of us take for granted.
Newlife is the UK’s largest charity providing specialist equipment to disabled and terminally ill children. In the last year it has helped 56 children in Lancashire.
Consultant nurse at Newlife Karen Dobson said: “One of the most heartbreaking parts of my job is when we have to say no to a child and family who are in desperate need of help because we simply don’t have the funds available.
“I know it’s hard to believe but the reality is that many of these children have already been refused essential equipment by their local health services.
“That is why they turn to us, but unfortunately we haven’t got the funds to help them right now.”
There are one million disabled children in Great Britain and as the largest charity providing of specialist disability equipment in the UK, Newlife receives hundreds of calls each week from families, many of whom have been refused the help they need by their local health services.
Without the support of the local community, Newlife is unable to fund every application.
One of these children is three-year-old Louisa Spindler-Duckworth, who has cerebral palsy.
Her muscles are floppy and she is unable to crawl, sit, walk or talk. She has a specialist bed at her mum’s home in Lytham that can be tilted to help control the symptoms of reflux and so she doesn’t choke.
When she stays at her dad’s she is in an ordinary travel cot – which means she is at risk of choking or worse.
Her mum, Marilia Spindler, said: “It’s really important for her to be able to stay with her dad, and it would be such a big relief to have the right bed there because it’s difficult to take care of her without one.”
Newlife head of charity operations Stephen Morgan said: “Although we’ve been able to help some children we desperately need kind-hearted locals to help us raise money so we can help all 59 of the disabled and terminally ill children in Lancashire – we literally can’t do it without your help.
“Every penny you give will genuinely be used to save and change young lives in Lancashire.”
You can make a donation by visiting www. newlifecharity.co.uk/lancashire or by calling the Newlife fundraising team on 0800 988 4640.
All money raised will be used to help a child in need in your county.