Sunshine Fund trike helps youngster enjoy outdoor fun with pals: no stopping Daniel now!
DEFIANT Daniel Salinger is tasting freedom after spending much of his life unable to walk.
The eight-year-old lives with hypotonia and cerebral atrophy, which means he struggles to get about unaided as well as having delayed development in speech and co-ordination.
Now, thanks to this new trike donated by the Chronicle Sunshine Fund, Daniel is able to get out and about and enjoy the outdoors with his brother Ryan, six.
Mum Anne Lovat, from Blyth, Northumberland, said: “It’s fabulous. Daniel is a very stubborn child, very independent which is brilliant, and the reason I think he does as well as he does.
“When he got on his bike I was trying to help him and steer him, but he was saying ‘no, mummy no’.
“It gives him so much independence and makes a massive difference to him.
“It’s one of the things he can do on his own, although I do have to follow him sometimes as he has no sense of fear.
“Most nights he asks if he can go out on his bike. It’s bound to strengthen the muscles in his legs as well.”
The trike, which is worth more than £2,500, was bought using a grant from the Sunshine Fund, a local charity that supports disabled children and their families.
Full-time carer Anne says without the grant it would have been unlikely that she would have been able to afford to buy the trike, which will last Daniel up until he is 15.
The 32-year-old said: “It’s definitely been a lifeline.
“I’ve got two sons and even just buying a normal bike can cost hundreds never mind one for a disabled child which costs at least a thousand pounds, and that’s so much money.
“We would have had to save up for a long time to pull that kind of money together.”
The money that went towards Daniel’s trike came from an annual corporate golf day held by Gateshead-based ITPS, an IT solutions company.
The event was held in aid of the Sunshine Fund, with all proceeds from the day being donated to the charity.
Paul Anderson, from ITPS, said: “The Sunshine Fund has always been a charity close to our hearts, as it’s North East-based and allows us to help children with disabilities in our own region.
“To know that our help is making a real difference, and to see first-hand how this enhances the lives of these children is very rewarding.”
Sarah Clark, business development manager at the Sunshine Fund, said: “The long term support of companies such as ITPS is crucial to generating ongoing funding for The Sunshine Fund.
“It is great to see the money raised being used effectively allowing Daniel to enjoy his trike and gain more independence.”