Legs for Leon
Donation protected
When Leon was 3 and a half his life was flipped upside down when he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This is a brutal disease which gets nastier over time. It affects all of your muscles and takes away your mobility. It starts with your legs and walking and moves through the body to all your muscles eventually affecting your heart. Leon is already taking medication for his heart alongside steroids.
I saw a massive decline of Leon’s mobility when I returned home from university a couple of weeks ago, it was far more obvious then I had noticed in past returns. Two years ago Leon was able to go up and downstairs with relative ease, now he can hardly get himself up from the sofa, let alone off the floor. With Duchenne, even the simplest tasks to you or me are big challenges and hurdles for Leon and this means he misses out on so much we all take for granted. Imagine the thought of needing to go to the loo at night and having to shout for your parents to help you because you can’t get out of bed. Leon needs our help for so many things now, but walking is something we cannot do for him.
Leon’s 10th birthday is on June the 23rd and it is a bittersweet time; it is exciting that he is growing up but also a harsh reminder that things he can do himself will be taken away from him as he gets older.
Leon recently test drove an awesome off-road powered wheelchair which would allow him to join us on walks exploring the countryside in the woods. Seb said after the test drive ”It’s like giving Leon legs." You could see the joy in Leon’s face and it gave everyone a sense of relief that he could experience something that most of us take for granted, simply going for a walk by ourselves. When Leon was in the wheelchair he didn't want to get off, he kept whizzing off whilst the man who brought it around for a test drive was trying to get measurements, Leon wanted to race Seb and was delighted that he finally had some control and independence so he could keep up with Seb. It was like being Usain Bolt for Leon.
Seb and I have set up this crowdfunding page as we are really hoping that Leon can have the off-road wheelchair and for the chance for him to be able to do something that all of us find extremely easy was overwhelming to him. The only thing in our way is the cost which is just under £20,000.
Please contribute anything you can and make this dream come true for our little brother Leon.
Thank you from Josh & Seb x
I saw a massive decline of Leon’s mobility when I returned home from university a couple of weeks ago, it was far more obvious then I had noticed in past returns. Two years ago Leon was able to go up and downstairs with relative ease, now he can hardly get himself up from the sofa, let alone off the floor. With Duchenne, even the simplest tasks to you or me are big challenges and hurdles for Leon and this means he misses out on so much we all take for granted. Imagine the thought of needing to go to the loo at night and having to shout for your parents to help you because you can’t get out of bed. Leon needs our help for so many things now, but walking is something we cannot do for him.
Leon’s 10th birthday is on June the 23rd and it is a bittersweet time; it is exciting that he is growing up but also a harsh reminder that things he can do himself will be taken away from him as he gets older.
Leon recently test drove an awesome off-road powered wheelchair which would allow him to join us on walks exploring the countryside in the woods. Seb said after the test drive ”It’s like giving Leon legs." You could see the joy in Leon’s face and it gave everyone a sense of relief that he could experience something that most of us take for granted, simply going for a walk by ourselves. When Leon was in the wheelchair he didn't want to get off, he kept whizzing off whilst the man who brought it around for a test drive was trying to get measurements, Leon wanted to race Seb and was delighted that he finally had some control and independence so he could keep up with Seb. It was like being Usain Bolt for Leon.
Seb and I have set up this crowdfunding page as we are really hoping that Leon can have the off-road wheelchair and for the chance for him to be able to do something that all of us find extremely easy was overwhelming to him. The only thing in our way is the cost which is just under £20,000.
Please contribute anything you can and make this dream come true for our little brother Leon.
Thank you from Josh & Seb x
Organizer and beneficiary
Sebastian Arnold
Organizer
Louise Crow-Arnold
Beneficiary