A young boy has been awarded after overcoming his personal struggles to raise funds for a local not-for-profit. Jaxon Trudgian, aged 10, from Porthcawl has ADHD and autism, both of which make everyday tasks very difficult, his mum explained.
He decided, after mastering the ability to ride his bike, that he would cycle 100 miles over 30 days to fundraise to give back to others.
"I decided to do it because I have autism and ADHD, so I did it for the charity," Jaxon said.
"It took Jaxon about four years to get the knack of learning to ride his bike," mum Sharon explained. "He said then, because he had learned to ride his bike that summer, that he wanted to put his skills to good use and do a fundraising ride for InclusAbility."
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InclusAbility is a Bridgend -based not-for-profit community interest company that supports adults and children like Jaxon who have disabilities, giving access to activities such as swimming, surfing, and crafts. "It was very hard for me," Jaxon explained, "I got lots of bruises."
Sharon added: "His co-ordination and balance aren't great, so he obviously falls off his bike quite a bit because of his balance.
Jaxon also has pathological demand avoidance (PDA), a profile of autism which makes everyday tasks or "demands" especially difficult. Sharon explained: "We're really proud of him, because of his PDA, it makes everyday demands really difficult for Jaxon, like brushing his teeth, getting dressed, anything you'd classify as a demand.
"We thought then riding his bike every day would be a massive demand for him, but he managed to go out every day, so it was really surprising to me, I was amazed."
Jaxon cycled in and around Porthcawl, stopping for milkshakes and pictures along the way to document his challenge. "Sometimes it was hot, sometimes it was raining so we went to a cafe near the house and got a coffee to warm up, then went back out," Jaxon said.
The 10-year-old has now been awarded a Mayor's Citizenship Award for his fundraising efforts, of which he is very proud. "Jaxon is really thrilled," Sharon added, "he thinks he's famous!"
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