A Wirral woman with cerebral palsy has fulfilled her dream to go to the beach after getting a new off-road wheelchair thanks to the Steve Morgan Foundation.
Pippa Bellis lives in a Hoylake flat with her parents but has severe cerebral palsy which was preventing her going to the nearby sea or enjoying trips to the countryside.
Described by her friends and family as ‘an adventurous and outgoing lady’ they say her inability to get out and about left her on the ‘sidelines’ and was having a negative impact on her mental health.
Investigations were made into getting an electric wheelchair bike but it was ruled out because it wouldn’t be stable enough because of her condition.
Attention switched to getting an all-terrain electric wheelchair before settling on a lightweight model called the DaVinci Extreme.
However, the near £10,000 price tag was too much for Pippa and her family to pay without help so they approached the Steve Morgan Foundation.
Thanks to a grant of over £8,000 from the Foundation’s Enable Fund, Pippa now has her own DaVinci Extreme wheelchair and is making up for lost time with visits to the beach.
Explaining the difference it has made to her life Pippa wrote: “It’s still very new and I have already been on the beach so I know that it does exactly what I want. I can’t wait to take it on more off-road places.
“I can’t thank you enough for my wheelchair. I absolutely love it. It will open up a number of outdoor opportunities for me that I could’ve only dreamt of otherwise. Thank you so much.”
The Enable Fund supports people of all ages in financial hardship, who are in need of specialised equipment, including mobility aids, wheelchairs, buggies, wheelchairs and trikes
Steve Morgan CBE, who founded the Steve Morgan Foundation in 2001, said: “The Enable Fund was set up to support people like Pippa to do the things she likes to do. I’m delighted the new wheelchair has helped her to get out and about more.”
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