Hopes for new wheelchair for 10-year-old from Ripon

A family from Kirkby Malzeard near Ripon are hoping to raise £19,000 for a new wheelchair for their ten-year-old-daughter. Ellie Renton has a genetic condition called Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy which causes slow progressive muscle weakness and wasting of the limb muscles.

Ellie was diagnosed with the condition at 18 months old, having not started to walk. Despite her condition, she has developed into a bright, happy and independently-minded young lady but her condition means as she grows and gets bigger, her body becomes weaker

Ellie's dad, Martin, said: "She's had this wheelchair since she was five and we just can't stop her growing!

"It's not giving her the support she needs anymore and we can't adapt it so it's just a case of her needing a new one.

"We've looked at all sorts of different wheelchairs which would work best for her to give her the best support and the best quality of life and we've found the chair which would do that."

When asked about what she was most looking forward to, Ellie said she couldn't wait to be able to "go faster" in her new chair.

She added: "I'm really excited to get it. When we do PE races at school I'm always the last one because my current chair doesn't go that fast. But hopefully with this one, I won't be as far behind.

"Blue is my favourite colour at the moment, so I'm hoping to get my new chair in aqua colour and put lots of stickers on it, like I have with my current chair."

She's had her current power chair since she was five-years-old and it allows her to adjust her height from the ground up and to travel over rough terrain, meaning she can independently take part in a wide range of activities at school and home.

But the chair is now too small for her and does not provide the correct postural support she requires as she grows. As Ellie’s muscles are not strong enough to hold her upright, it's vital she has a chair which holds her upright.

Also, her weak respiratory muscles make it difficult for her to cough effectively, making Ellie more vulnerable to chest infections, which could be life threatening. Ellie has previously had surgery on her spine to help her posture and she is scheduled to have more surgery before the end of the year.

For this surgery to be most successful, and for Ellie to maintain this level of health and independence, Ellie needs to be in a wheelchair of the right size and support.

If you'd like to help Ellie, you can donate to her Go Fund Me page here.