A SCOTS teen is hoping his pleas will be heard in a £2,000 fundraiser for an electric wheelchair, following 14 brain surgeries for a devastating mobility disease.
Liam Taylor was diagnosed with spina bifida before he was even born, before mum Chelsea was informed he was also suffering from hydrocephalus one week after his birth.
As a result, the 13-year-old now has already undergone 14 brain surgeries, one major spinal operation and ten bowel/kidney surgeries leaving him catheterised several times a day and with limited mobility.
Liam from Oakley, Fife uses a manual wheelchair but struggles due to living in a hilly area – leaving the youngster to create a Just Giving fundraiser earlier this month to raise the funds necessary.
Mum Chelsea, 30, was told in only the second trimester of her pregnancy that Liam would be born with spina bifida – a condition where the spinal cord does not form correctly.
This, in conjunction with Liam’s hydrocephalus – where excess fluid builds up in the brain and affects mobility – and scoliosis has left the youngster needing to be catheterised several times a day.
The mum-and-son duo applied for an electric wheelchair through the NHS but have said they were denied due to Liam being able to walk unaided for ten-minutes on foot.
Despite this, the brave teen is determined to have his independence, with Chelsea setting up the fundraiser to buy the £1,800 electric wheelchair themselves.
Chelsea wrote in the fundraiser: “Hi my name’s Chelsea and I am asking all of you lovely people if you could help us raise around two thousand pounds to get my son Liam an electric wheelchair.
“Liam was born with Spina bifida , hydrocephalus, scoliosis , imperforate anus, neuropathic bladder and bowel, and has a colostomy. Liam requires to be catheterised several times a day.
“In his short 13 years of life, he’s had a major spinal operation, 14 brain surgeries to change his shunts and 10 or so surgeries involving bladder/bowel and kidneys.
“The NHS won’t fund an electric wheelchair because Liam can walk for five/ten mins on flat ground before being in pain and tired.
“This is restricting his social life completely as he cannot go [sic] his manual chair at all and we live in an
area full of hills.
“He’s also struggling to keep up with friends in school as he’s not so great and pretty slow on his feet but, again, can’t do his manual chair himself.
“I will be doing bits of fundraising local to us to help build some funds towards it and some accessories.
“We have found a chair suited to his needs but need around £1,800/£2,000 to purchase this to make life easier for my son.”
Many shared their sympathies with the family, wishing Liam good luck with the fundraiser.
Marion Brand said: “Hope you reach your target very soon. What a difference it will make to your lives.”
Claire Miller commented: “Just a wee something to help wish youse all best, yous are smashing this target. Well done from me and kids.”
Mary Carrigan said: “Good luck with the fundraising Chelsea, you’re a diamond of a mother doll and I know you will reach the target for Liam’s electric chair because you’re just the sort who won’t stop until he has it.”
Scott Macleod commented: “Hope you reach your target quickly.”
Speaking today, Liam said: “My disabilities stop me from doing almost everything my pals do. I can’t even go out at lunch time with them for lunch as I can’t manage the walk to the shop.
“Having a wheelchair with power would mean ma mum and dad wouldn’t need to take me everywhere and stay with me.
“It makes me very happy [being close to the fundraiser goal], I hope we manage to make it and if we make more I can get a better chair and maybe a wee hut out front to store it in because the house isn’t big enough for all my stuff I already have.
“I’d get more independent with an electric wheelchair.”
Mum of two Chelsea added: “We have been rejected twice from the NHS, Liam was born with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and a few other disabilities.
“He was diagnosed with spina bifida whilst I was still pregnant and hydrocephalus came one week after the spina bifida was closed over.
“I was only 16 when pregnant with Liam and 17-years-old when I had him through an emergency C-section – no one thought I’d cope with a child who has Liam’s disabilities but here we are, 13 years later and we’re best pals.
“We live in an area where it’s up and down hills everywhere and Liam cannot walk this nor can he do his manual wheelchair himself.
“This prevents Liam from having a normal teenager lifestyle like going out with friends and being able to do things for himself independently outside our home.
“This wheelchair would make Liam and his family really happy and grateful.
“He’s had 14 brain surgeries [in total] and due to all the recent hospital stays, over the past two years he’s had five or six brain surgeries alone.
“This has completely taken Liam’s muscle tone and strength away from him due to being in hospital or in bed, having just had surgery.
“The electric wheelchair would make his life so much better, it would be life changing for him.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has reached £1,542.
To donate to the family’s fundraiser you can visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chelt-taylor
