A charity is asking people in Leeds to make a donation to help a disabled eight-year-old boy, so he doesn't have to keep "missing out on so much".
Oliver Rooney, from Bramley, has a rare genetic condition called Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome, which affects his physical and mental development. It also means he has no awareness of danger and needs to be constantly supervised.
At home, he sleeps in a specialist high-sided bed that keeps him safe, but he does not have a travel version, which would allow him to take trips with his four brothers, stay with his dad and visit his grandparents.
Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children is now trying to raise £2,510 to pay for the specialist bed and an anonymous donor has promised to match all donations pound for pound.
Oliver's mother, Elizabeth Mcomish-Rooney said: “It’s heart-breaking that Oliver has to miss out on so much, but at night time he’s often awake for hours in the middle of the night.
"Without a specialist bed with high sides he would be in constant danger.
“Oliver is like a one-year-old in an eight-year-old's body. Everything around him has to be safety proofed all the time.
"He has no understanding of what’s dangerous, so there are so ornaments or lamps in our home and the TV is far out of reach, high up on a wall. It’s exhausting to always be thinking a step ahead and I can’t take my eyes off him for a moment.
“Even going outside means Oliver has to use a wheelchair because his joints are hyper mobile and he gets very tired very easily and he’ll just decide to sit down anywhere, even the middle of the road, and not move.
'It’s so important as it will give Oliver as normal a life as possible'
“When he was younger we could go away for a break and use a travel cot, but he’s far too big now.
"We have even tried strapping in him in to a reclined buggy so he can stay at his dad’s for the weekend, but that’s not safe for him.
“A specialist bed will mean Oliver and his brothers can do everything together, rather than him having to stay at home with me or at my parent’s home whilst I visit other family, which I haven’t been able to do in four years.
"It’s so important as it will give Oliver as normal a life as possible and mean so much to his brothers to have him with them. It also means I can sleep and relax knowing he is safe away from home.”
Carrick Brown, manager for Newlife’s Child & Family Team, said: “Every child deserves the chance to be included in everything family life has to offer.
"Missing out on so much due to the simple lack of equipment is heart-breaking.
“Unfortunately, as much as we want to help Oliver and his family, we simply don’t have the funds to buy the equipment right now.
"We are desperately appealing to the local community for help to raise the money so Oliver can have the specialist travel bed he urgently needs.”
You can make a donation by visiting newlife.support/HelpOliver. You can also email fundraise@newlifecharity.co.uk or text NEWLIFE OLIVER to 70500 to give £10 to Oliver’s appeal.
