Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

My daughter's name is Aimee. She's now 14 years old, but was born seven weeks premature and weighed just 2lb 10oz. Doctors discovered that she had a bleed on the brain and surgeons had to drill a hole in her tiny skull to drain the blood. She also had other complex special needs, including bilateral hip dysplasia, scoliosis of the spine, a congenital knee dislocation and cerebal palsy. At just 2 days old she was transferred from our local hospital to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge where she could receive the specialist care she desperately needed. We were told that she had a 50/50 chance of surviving the two hour journey with the limited equipment they had on the ambulance... but she DID survive! However, once there, Aimee's consultant took us in to a private room and explained that she had an irregular heartbeat and he was very concerned that she would have a heart attack... he then asked us the question nobody wants to hear... did we want to resuscitate her if she did, because he didn't think she would have a good quality of life? We were given a little while to think about it as Aimee continued to be supported by machines. But what did they know, she wasn't going to give up without a fight and she just had to prove everyone wrong... just look at her now, weighing in at a respectable 8st!

When she was just 2 years old she underwent two major operations to resolve the hip dysplasia and help improve the knee dislocation somewhat. By the time she was 3, she was also diagnosed with epilepsy, global developmental delay and cortical visual impairment. What more could she cope with and still keep smiling?

She had a further operation when she was 8 to repair a broken femur caused by ruptured metalwork implant. Her latest big operation, only last year, was a posterior spinal fusion, to help improve the scoliosis. Despite everything, she is such a happy little girl, and being so determined and resilient, she was also recently nominated by her school for a Jack Petchey Foundation Award for 'Outstanding Achiever' for bouncing back so quickly after her operation. I could not have been any prouder!

Apart from being in bed or rolling around on the floor, she's confined to a wheelchair, so a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) is an essential part of Aimee’s day to day life. The lease on our current vehicle is due to expire soon, but I am unable to raise enough money on my own to afford the non-refundable Advanced Payment required to lease a new WAV due to huge price increases over the past few years - five years ago it was less than £1300 for exactly the same spec as we have now... we don't need anything fancy! Without a replacement vehicle, I will not be able to take Aimee out and about, visit family and friends, attend her regular medical appointments, collect her from school if she's unwell or attend her monthly meetings. Nor will I be able to do essential everyday shopping.

Your help would be truly appreciated to ensure Aimee continues to have a life outside of home and school!