Little girl's wait for freedom

Cash plea so kids get the wheelchairs they need

- By Hanna Geissler Health Editor

ELEVEN-year-old Wren Steer has cerebral palsy and desperately needs a lightweight manual wheelchair to help hold on to her independence.

At school, the youngster keeps on the go thanks to a powered chair from Whizz Kidz.

But at home, she has to rely on a manual wheelchair, provided by the NHS, that she is unable to self-propel.

And, as Wren grows, her mum Anna is finding it harder to push her around, which makes trips out of the house increasingly difficult.

Anna said: “I just want to make sure that Wren’s world doesn't get smaller as she gets heavier.

“She doesn’t get another childhood.

“This is why we've got to do our very best in terms of health outcomes but also for her having fun and having a childhood and keeping options open for her for whatever she wants to do. Equipment can really open the door for that. But the longer we wait, the more it feels like we've missed out.

“Those little precious golden moments can be few and far between for someone like Wren.”

Anna said a better chair would give Wren, the youngest of three siblings, greater freedom.

“It would mean she could do simple things for herself - such as reaching a light switch or grabbing a chocolate bar — instead of having to wait for someone to help her.