A specialist buggy for 10-year-old Megan Adams-Fitzgerald has changed her life, opening up the world to her.
Megan was born with a genetic condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome. She has severe learning disabilities and can only say a few words, and she can become very distressed. Due to her condition she never feels full no matter how much she eats, so her days and diet are very structured. Megan was also born with talipes, where her leg is in a twisted position and her foot is turned in. She is unable to straighten her leg, meaning that she struggles to walk as she can fall, and she has low muscle tone and gets tired very easily.
Megan, from Yorkshire, uses a buggy to get around, but she had outgrown the buggy she was using and the frame was bent. This buggy could also only be used on very flat terrain such as pavement and her mum Tracy found it extremely difficult to push on any uneven surfaces, especially as it would tip over at the slightest bump. Megan was provided with a wheelchair by the local statutory and health services after she had knee surgery, but this had small wheels and could also only be used on flat surfaces.
She needed a specialist buggy that can be used on all terrains and off-road to make it easier for her and her family to get out to more outdoor places for walks and day trips, to limit social isolation for the whole family and to give Megan the chance to get outside in the fresh air during lockdown.
Without this equipment Megan and her family were limited on being able to get out of the house. Trying to go anywhere that involved uneven terrain meant the buggy being hard to push and tipping over, which was not safe. Even going on longer day trips was difficult as she could not nap in her buggy as it does not recline, her head goes over the back of it and it does not have a hood so she would become distressed as she did not have a safe space to calm during meltdowns. She would often stay with her grandparents while her mum took out her younger brother, meaning the family were unable to do things together.
As equipment had already been provided by the statutory and health services, Megan’s mum turned to Newlife for help and was provided with the £1,725 specialist buggy she needed through its Equipment Grants Service. Newlife’s Equipment Grants Service ensures that the right equipment is provided at the right time to keep children safe, free them from pain and discomfort, enable them to fulfil their potential and improve their quality of life.
Now Megan has a specialist pushchair that she can grow with for years to come and into adulthood. Her family can get out to more places such as national parks and the farm to interact with nature and wildlife. She loves being out and about and seeing animals and exploring places. She will no longer be excluded or socially isolated and her family can spend more quality time together. She will be safe as her mum can easily push the buggy over uneven surfaces and it is sturdy enough to withstand kicking during meltdowns, and also gives Megan a secure and comfortable place to calm and relax.
Megan’s mum, Tracy, said: “Newlife has really changed our lives with this specialist buggy, Megan loves it.
For more information about the Equipment Grant service from Newlife, click here.
