Shropshire grandad’s skydive to help Harrison, 3
A Shropshire grandad is to leap out of a plane to help raise money for a special wheelchair for his grandson.
Gary Struggles from Ellesmere and his son Ryan will take part in a skydive to help fund the special chair for his daughter Jodie's three-year-old son Harrison.
Jodie's friend, Vicky Poole, also from Ellesmere will also join the skydiving team at the event in Nottinghamshire in May.
Harrison was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which means he has very poor muscle strength and has to wear a mask attached to an oxygen machine at night to help him breath.
Grandmother Davina said her daughter knew there was something wrong when Harrison didn't develop like her other son, but it wasn't until he was one year old that he was diagnosed.
Treatment
She said that with 80 per cent of children with SMA1 dying before their second birthday, the family researched treatment and found a new drug not available on the NHS.
But they were able to join a special scheme which meant the drug company, Bio Gen, would pay for the medication.
"We had to take Harrison out to France and pay for the nurses and hospital time to give the initial 'loading dose' of the drug. The drug company is continuing to covering the cost of the drug with the NHS now doing the injections at a hospital in Sheffield close to where Jodie and the family now live."
"Harrison is a wonderful little boy, intelligent and, once he gets to know you, very chatty. He loves painting and goes down to the mere to see the ducks or up to Llangollen to see Thomas the Tank Engine on the railway."
The family is raising funds for a special 'Snapdragon' wheelchair that will help him become more independent as he gets older.
"He has movement in his hands that means he will be able to manoeuvre the wheelchair which can also rise up and down."
Anyone who wants to sponsor the skydivers can do so via mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/garrysskydive
