Knaresborough rallies to fund nine-year old Amelia's new wheelchair

A nine-year year old girl from Knaresborough has been given the freedom to move independently after recieving a new wheelchair, funded by organisations from across the town.

Amelia Beaton has a congenital nuromuscular disease which means she relies on a wheelchair in order to move.

Her last prescribed chair was four years old, and NHS standard provision chairs were too heavy for her to push herself, until earlier this year when she recieved her customised wheelchair which was valued at £2.500.

Lisa Beaton, Amelia’s mum, said provider Yorkshire Care Equipment made sure it was exactly what Amelia wanted.

She said: “Amelia loves her new wheelchair because it’s so lightweight, she can push it herself. It’s a joy to see her in it.

“We went to Yorkshire Care Equipment because they’re local and it’s important to support the community.

“They were incredibly helpful and really did pull out all the stops to make sure my daughter’s wheelchair was exactly as she wanted it to be.”

Costs were met by organisations including the Knaresborough Lions, the Rotary Club of Knaresborough, The NewLife Charity and a private donor.A spokesperson for the Knaresborough Lions said: “We are delighted that this little girl was able to get her wheelchair and for us to have helped make this possible.”

While also giving her the chance to be indepedent Amelia was also able to customise her chair with a splash of colour.

Gary Hornsby-Shawe of Yorkshire Care Equipment said: “When I first met Amelia and her family, it was obvious her wheelchair just wasn’t right for her anymore. We sat together and did a sort of wish list of things she could have in her new wheelchair, and then we set to work arranging it all.“Amelia has been one of my favourite customers to work with – she had such a big smile with her new chair!”

“She wanted a wheelchair that was a bit more fun and livelier that could also provide her with the right level of mobility and support. Once she had been measured up, Amelia decided on a flamingo glitter pink finish, with flashing light-up front wheels.”