Sporty Robbie is making most of new wheelchair
YOUNGSTER WHO LOST HIS LEGS TO MENINGITIS HAS GREAT AMBITIONS FOR FUTURE
A YOUNG lad who lost both of his legs to meningitis has been given a new lease of life.
Sporty Robbie Jones, now 13, contracted a deadly strain of the disease which threatened to take his life when he was just 22 months old.
Doctors were forced to amputate his right leg above the knee and his left leg below, as well as the tips of his fingers on his left hand – but he has never let his disability slow him down.
Growing up, Robbie, from Bowburn, County Durham, began playing disability football and he aspires to compete in wheelchair racing. But one thing stood in his way – the lack of a specialist wheelchair.
To compete, he needed a lightweight sporting wheelchair which the NHS couldn’t provide as they come with a price tag of around £3,000. After hearing about the Sunshine Fund and applying for help, his life has now changed completely.
The charity fundraises to purchase specialist equipment for local disabled children when they can’t get it on the NHS and they rely on your donations to do it.
Since getting the wheelchair, Robbie has made strides in his development and hopes to do the Junior Great North Run next year to raise money for the fund.
His grandma Sandra Graham said: “He wants to do it for the Sunshine Fund to give back to them because of what they’ve done for him. “It’ll be our way of doing a little bit to help. The NHS couldn’t provide it as he has an electric wheelchair but we couldn’t give that up as he needs it for school.” Robbie participates in disability football in at The Graham Sports Centre at Durham University which he loves but he is desperate to advance in wheelchair racing. He attended a club in Gateshead but due to low attendance and funding issues, it was cancelled and so far there hasn’t been a replacement. “He was gutted, he was really upset,” Sandra, 59, said. “He loved it. I don’t know why but it just feels like Sandra Graham it’s always just a battle. It’s quite frustrating. This wheelchair will come in handy for him at school as well. He can use it to join in with things like running, which he couldn’t before.”
Robbie struggles to play sports such as football with his prosthetic legs as they are so heavy, so he plays without them and uses his hands.
“He puts everything into it. He’s the type of kid to just give his all. He only started disability football recently and he loves it. He’s the only one with a noticeable disability so at first he felt a bit left out because he’s the only one down on the ground but now he absolutely loves it – he couldn’t wait to go back after the summer holidays.”
Robbie has already completed the Junior Great North Run twice and hopes to take part next year to help the Sunshine Fund and Meningitis Now – with the help of his new wheelchair of course.
He only started disability football recently and he loves it. He couldn’t wait to go back after the holidays