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Case Studies

Joshua's story: An electric wheelchair for the boy with a rare genetic disorder

Joshua’s Mum had spent 18 years in the insurance industry. Joshua had been born with a rare genetic disorder affecting just 96 children in the western world.

After spending the first nine months of his life in hospital Joshua has amazed the medical profession with his progress. We initially helped the family with much needed adaptations to their modest home in order to accommodate Joshua’s needs.

His mum was proud to tell us that her son attended the local primary school. He was, however, struggling to integrate with the rest of his class. His wheelchair, for example, would not fit under the small tables and he was therefore kept apart from the others. They had seen an electric wheelchair which moved up and down, enabling the child to get down to the same level as his peers as well as reach up to things on a higher level.

Joshua’s parents knew it would transform their son’s life but simply could not afford the cost of £15 000. We have just made a significant contribution to enable the special chair to be delivered to Joshua. The following is an extract from his parents’ letter to us:

Joshua“Joshua is absolutely thrilled with the chair, which has opened up a whole new world of independence. He is now exploring under the kitchen table, something which he missed out on through his ‘toddler’ years. He is also really looking forward to going back to school as he will be able to keep up with his friends on their bikes. “We cannot thank you enough for your generosity – without your support the chair was only a dream. The little things are so important in life. When Joshua went outside in the chair with his dad, he picked up a stone independently for the first time in his life. We still have that stone”.