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Meet 6-year-old Kinsley Ridley from North Tyneside, who has Dandy Walker malformation and development delay. She uses a walker and a specialist pushchair for longer distances, and this was funded by wheelchair services.
Kinsley uses her specialist chair at school as it provides postural support, allowing her to access different table heights throughout the day. However, this chair is bulky and heavy and Kinsley’s mam, Kayleigh, found she was struggling to transport her chair to/from school in the car, a trip they make twice daily.
The RMS Piper Buggy, costing £1,267, was suggested as an at-home alternative as it folds up easily in the boot of the car. However, this type of buggy wasn’t available through wheelchair services so Kinsley’s Mum, Kayleigh, approached us, and we were able to fund the buggy.
Here at The Sunshine Fund, we are a small North East charity that funds specialist equipment that isn’t available on the NHS or Local Authority, yet can make a huge difference to the lives of local children living with disabilities and terminal illness.
Now the family can keep the RMS Piper Buggy in their boot to be used when transporting Kinsley in the car. She still gets the postural support she needs at school, but school drop-off is much smoother and stress-free for everyone.
Kayleigh said, “This is a game changer. So much easier and lighter to lift in and out of my car. Kinsley is much more comfortable in this chair as it the seat moves back if she was tired and she loves this!”
“Also, her seat can be adjusted so her legs don't have to be pointing down which she loves too! It’s light and lovely to push and the basket fits everything we need to go in.”.
Not only does the buggy make it easier to get Kinsley to and from school, but it also opens up more opportunities for the mother-and-daughter duo to get out and about, because it makes car journeys much more comfortable.
