New wheelchair for Ollie

This is Ollie, our 12 year old amazing son and twin brother to Jack. On the 3rd January 2013 when Ollie was just 4 years old we were given the news that no parent ever wants to hear. We were told our beautiful boy had the life limiting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DMD affects one in 3500 boys (and one in 50 million girls), it is a genetic condition causing those affected to lose their ability to walk around the age of 12, and due to heart and lung function deterioration, lose their life around the age of 25. There is currently no cure for this cruel disease!! That was the day our hearts broke and our lives would never be the same again! 

Ollie amazes us every day with how he copes with everything he has to deal with from all the hospital appointments, blood tests, medication he has to take, daily physio to not being able to do the things his twin brother and friends do. He really is a special boy. 

2 years ago Ollie was given Simm, his assistance dog to help him day to day but Ollie’s current wheelchair really restricts him to where he can go with Simm. Ollie would love to take him over the fields, into the woods and everywhere dogs love to go but it’s just not possible in his current wheelchair. Ollie would love to watch his brother play football but again it is just not possible! Ollie always loved the beach but now he can only dream of this! 

An all terrain wheelchair will allow Ollie the freedom and stress free going out especially when the weather has been bad! He could go to the beach, country parks and into the woods with us all rather than just having to either stay at home or sit at the side and watch. We could do things as a family and make some memories for us all. 

Ollie really doesn’t ask for much, he just wants to be able to do the things other children do...And if we can raise the money for his new wheels hopefully we can make one young man very happy! 

Thank you for reading our story! 

Julie & Mark