THE charities Muscular Dystrophy UK and Whizz Kidz are joining forces to offer life-changing grants to under-18s living with a muscle-wasting or weakening condition.
The collaboration between Muscular Dystrophy UK, the leading charity for over 110,000 people in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions, and Whizz Kidz, the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users, has awarded nearly £50,000 in grants to enable eight children to access a new wheelchair.
Living with a progressive muscle-wasting and weakening condition means you may need access to specialist equipment throughout your life. This can come at a substantial financial cost. Over 75,000 young people in the UK need to use a wheelchair. Unfortunately, they often can’t access the equipment that fully meets their needs through local services due to long wait times, costing issues and some children not meeting the qualifying criteria. The grants can, therefore, be life-changing.
Following years of being mis-diagnosed, Grace Mohan, 14, from Chertsey, Surrey, received a congenital myopathy diagnosis in 2023. Grace struggles to walk long distances, and the condition causes extreme exhaustion. Currently, she has a manual wheelchair provided by the NHS, but with the progression of her condition, she finds it difficult to manoeuvre as she can’t self-propel.
Grace said:
“I really struggle to walk long distances, so I’ll often have to miss out on doing things with my friends because my condition causes me too much pain. I’m so thankful that I’m going to be getting a new wheelchair. I’ve gone for one called Quickie in a purple colour to reflect my personality.”
Grace’s mum, Eloise, added:
“I don’t think she quite knew what to expect until we actually went to the wheelchair fitting day. The smile on Grace’s face said it all. If it hadn’t been for her ears, her smile would have gone all the way around. It was joyous to watch her going up and down the pavements – she had so much freedom. We can’t wait for her to receive her new wheelchair and can’t thank Muscular Dystrophy UK and Whizz Kidz enough.”
Neeru Naik, Director of Services and Support at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said:
“On average, powered wheelchairs can cost anything between £5,000 – £35,000. The partnership with Whizz Kidz allows these children, living with a muscle wasting and weakening condition, to access essential wheelchairs. Giving them freedom – whilst avoiding disappointingly long-wait periods. We’re looking forward to exploring how we can further our relationship with Whizz Kidz to help others in need in the future.”
Sarah Pugh, Chief Executive at Whizz Kidz said:
“At Whizz Kidz, we believe every young wheelchair user deserves the right equipment to live life to the fullest. By joining forces with Muscular Dystrophy UK, we are breaking down barriers and providing vital mobility solutions that will have a truly life-changing impact. These grants mean greater independence, confidence, and opportunity for children who need it most, and we are proud to be part of this transformative collaboration.”
