FAMILY LIVING WITH MIKEY’S MUSCLE WASTING DISEASE

AYOUNG boy could spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair after being diagnosed with a muscle-wasting condition. Mikey Griffiths, 12, from Newport, was just six weeks old when his family was told he was suffering with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, one of the more common and severe forms of the condition.

Until a few years ago, Formula Oneloving Mikey was able to live a fairly normal life and he loved watching and playing football.

Now the youngster is using an electric wheelchair and his condition is deteriorating, with issues affecting his heart and breathing becoming more prominent.

A fundraising campaign has since been set up by friends to help raise money for a family holiday to Disney World, as well as any further equipment Mikey may need.

The Newport High School pupil’s mother Samantha, 31, said: “When he was born they did a blood spot test and the diagnosis came from that.

“I was only 18 when he was born so there was quite a lot to take on and there was no support for us, we were left to deal with it.

“All they told us was not to go on the internet and look up the condition.

“It was quite a shock, I just wanted my own baby to love and it was quite hard to deal with it.

“When Michael was younger, he was just like a normal baby and you wouldn’t have looked at him any differently to any other child.

“He has deteriorated quite a lot recently. We went to Great Ormond Street Hospital and the condition is now starting to affect his heart.

“He’s restricted with his mobility and he is in an electric wheelchair at the moment. It’s hard to adapt to it.”

Mikey’s parents haven’t told him the full extent of his condition and he has never asked about it.

Samantha added: “Lately he has seemed quite emotional. I don’t know if he has taken anything in from the hospital but other than that he’s usually pretty good and he is always smiling.”

Mikey is still living life to the full. He met his hero Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone, and Lewis even signed the num- ber plate on his wheelchair.

The Liverpool FC fan also served as a ring bearer at parents Samantha andd Barry’s wedding in 2013.

Samantha said: “We weren’t planningg to get married when we did, but when n Michael started to deteriorate we man- aged to find a way to fund it.

“It was an amazing day because hee could walk down the aisle with us and itt was really nice to have pictures with himm not in his wheelchair.”

Work has been done to adapt the family home in Bettws to suit Mikey’s needs but they would also like to go on holidayy while Mikey is able to travel.

A number of people will be climbing g Pen y Fan next month for a fundraisingg challenge – with some aiming to do this 10 times over a 24-hour period – and Newport County have held a number off bucket collections.

Samantha said: “It’s amazing, really,, we have never met people who have e cared as much as they have.

“It’s been lovely to see how much they y care about Michael and it’s nice to see e there are people out there who want too help.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/ / crowdfunding/Mikeyscause if you’d d like to make a donation