Walking 4 Wheels

Hi, my name is Ian and next month I will walk the 32 miles from Halifax to Stockport to raise funds to buy my step son Jake a suitable wheelchair. The NHS wheelchair he has been provided with is too heavy from him to self propel and doesn't give him the independence he deserves. Jake is home educated (due to his school not being wheelchair accessible) and we also have a toddler who uses a buggy. Because of this, Jake, my wife Naomi and our 2 year old Margot are unable to go out through the week without an additional person to help. They want and need to be free to visit home Education groups, the library, go for walks and nip to the shop.

Hey, I'm Naomi, Jakes Mum. I want to tell you a little bit about our story and how we got here.

The 19th of April 2021 was supposed to be the start of things going back to normal. It was the first day of term after the Easter holidays and after a year of lockdowns, isolation, school closures and uncertainty. When I woke that morning I had no idea of the events that would play out over the coming days/weeks/months.

My son Jake, who was 10 at the time, woke up complaining of sore legs. I put it down to growing pains. He had spent the holidays running around and playing non stop, which was normal for him, he was an active kid with a passion for running. Within the hour I knew this wasn't normal and it certainly wasn't growing pains. Then the screams of pain started. To begin with it was a couple per hour then quickly ramped up to several in the space of a minute. Blood curdling, cut you to your core, screams of pain.

The coming weeks were spent in and out of hospital with no answers and no more then paracetamol and ibuprofen to "ease" the pain". He struggled to walk due to the pain from the offset. But within weeks of that first morning, he couldn't even wiggle his toes. All connection from his brain to legs was lost and life hasn't been the same since.

Since then when have been fighting for answers and while we are edging closer, we still don't have any. The most likely cause is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) which measures higher on the McGill pain scale than having a finger amputated without anaesthesia. On top of that Jake is also now suffering from Medical PTSD from his time spent in hospital.

Having a wheelchair that meets Jakes needs would be life changing, not just for Jake but for the whole family. Having the freedom to leave the house without an extra adult to assist, to be able to see Jake race in the park with his friends (he was a keen cross country runner) and for every little bump not exacerbate his pain due to a stiff rigid wheelchair would be incredible.

Please support this cause by giving what you can and sharing this page far and wide. Let's work together to give Jake his independence back. Thank you