THE mum of a two-year-old with several disabilities is praising a charity that loaned them a specialist wheelchair to stop them feeling like a prisoner in their home.

Laura Waterhouse, from Sutton, is mum to Benjamin who has chronic lung disease with a tracheostomy in place to help him breathe. He is also oxygen dependent 24/7 and needs constant suctioning to clear his airway.

His condition means that mum Laura is forced to carry an essential emergency kit with her at all times and that his pram isn’t strong enough to hold it all.

She applied for a special pram for Benjamin but was told by health professionals that she would have to wait 12 to 18 months for an assessment to get it – but says the family could not wait this long and applied to charity Newlife, who specialise to aiding children affected by all disabilities and terminal illness.

She said: “My husband works full-time so I usually manage the hospital appointments on my own with Benjamin.

“We had a standard pram; it was a good one, but just not designed to carry all his essential emergency kit – heavy oxygen tanks, suctioning machine and monitor – as well as his tracheostomy kit, feeding pump, catheters and everything else you need for a young child.

“Some of the equipment was piled up on the pram and the rest was slung across my shoulders.

“With the help of Benjamin’s care team we applied to Newlife who loaned us a specialist buggy.

“It has made a huge difference – just being able to take Benjamin out of the house for a walk is great, knowing that we’ve got all his emergency kit in place and ready to use if it’s needed.

“I don’t feel like a prisoner anymore because we didn’t go out unless we absolutely had to.”

Newlife has another 28 children in the borough in need of specialist equipment and needs to find around £25,000 to make this possible.

Newlife Head of Charity Operations Stephen Morgan said: “It’s an outrage that families of disabled and terminally ill children have to ‘battle’ local services for help – and yet they still face heart breaking delays and refusals.

“That’s where Newlife can help; we change lives across the UK every day – but we can’t do it alone.

“Please help us to help more children like Benjamin across Merseyside and know that every penny you give will be used to provide specialist equipment to help change young lives.”

To donate visit newlifecharity.co.uk/merseyside, call 01543 462777 or email local@newlifecharity.co.uk.