Help East get the wheelchair he desperately needs

Hi, my name is Candi & I run a choir in Brighton. Recently one of my members, East (on the right in the photo) received a medical diagnosis which means he has to be in a wheelchair full-time ASAP. The wheelchair he needs starts at £3,500 and with no funding available for him we've started fundraising to make sure he gets one he needs quickly. East is such a key part of our community; he's kind, talented and always eager to lend a hand to help other choir members so we now hope to help him! Here is East's story (in his own words):

Since a diabetic diagnosis back in 2022 I have been going through medical complications, all starting with a hospital admission with an ulcer in my foot. This developed into a very bad infection in my right leg, keeping me in hospital for a long time and then at home being cared for by the hospital at home team. Since then I have been fighting infections in my body, both in the blood and tissue, from cellulitis to sepsis. Early this year I got an infection in the bones of my foot leading to having my big toe amputated on my left foot and 5 weeks after having more taken away. There are further surgeries on the horizon, but the issue leading towards my current need for a chair is a Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

This FND is where my brain and legs aren’t communicating with one another, meaning my mobility is suffering and daily activities are becoming harder and harder. Having found comfort in a fellow choir member reaching out to me (not knowing they also suffer with FND) it is so comforting knowing someone else understands the frustration. After two years of relying on crutches the time has come to roll out on wheels to keep my independence.

For years I have played rugby since a young age, but just recently I have started playing wheelchair rugby for a Brighton team. But the cost of a wheelchair is astronomical; for a chair that allows accessibility and independence, lightweight, tough, tailored to my height, width and so on.

The City of Stars team reached out to me regarding helping fundraise for my wheelchair cause, It made my eyes leak quite heavily, I feel so touched by the kind and loving gesture.

You can see East's personality, joy and willingness to help others in the video above - he's an awesome person and he really deserves help after a rubbish few years. So thanks in advance - we all really appreciate you helping him!!