A lifelong Liverpool FC fan has finally reached his goal of having a robotic arm after being diagnosed with a debilitating disease when he was five.
Adam Kent from Crosby has managed to get the opportunity to have a robotic arm, something he has spent the last year of his life working towards. The 26-year-old has spent 12 months raising money to be able to afford his own robotic arm and with the help of disability equipment provider, Rahana Life, Adam is now in a position where he can rent the arm.
Adam was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when he was five years old, a condition that his brother Alix also suffers from. The condition means that both Adam and Alix have lost the ability to use their limbs as their health deteriorates over time.
READ MORE ABOUT ADAM'S STORY: Liverpool FC's 'unbelievable' gesture to lifelong fan
The fatal condition causes every muscle in the body to gradually waste away, with the brothers being robbed of their ability to walk, use their hands and complete seemingly easy tasks such as brushing their teeth. Last year the pair were both told that they are suffering from heart failure as a result of their MD, with their diagnosis being described as a "ticking timebomb".
Despite Adam wanting to be in a position where he could purchase a Jaco robotic arm, his sister, Hannah Cagliarini told the ECHO that the current situation means that rental is a more appropriate route to go down. Adam has already raised more than £20,000 through JustGiving but is now savouring every second with his brother and family.
Hannah said on Saturday, March 21: "Today marks a year since we started the fundraising journey of raising £50,000 so that Adam could purchase special life-changing equipment that would give him his independence that has sadly been robbed by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Recently we have received news from Rahana life that they have been working behind the scenes to be able to offer a solution that may be more fitting for Adams's situation which would go down the route of rental.
"Lately, we have been faced with a reality check of how Duchenne muscular dystrophy can cause things to change very quickly and a reality check that we are in a race against time, a race that we are heartbreakingly losing. Unfortunately with Alix and Adam's condition and their last diagnosis, we have to enjoy every single second we have left, and due to recent events that have become more apparent which has smacked us in the face, and urgently means if we don’t take this option now Adam won’t have time to achieve his dream."
Hannah, Adam's twin sister and Alix's younger sister, revealed that the family even began to run out of ideas to raise funds for Adam. She continued: "We have come so far with the fundraising and felt we had started running out of ideas to be able to get the funding so Adam could have time to pursue and enjoy his dreams, therefore with this in mind the funding we have raised so far will help towards the ongoing rental and upkeep costs of the Jaco. We will also need to continue to fundraise to support the future costs of this life-changing equipment so Adam can just enjoy his dreams instead of wasting his precious time with raising the full cost to purchase as well as worrying about the financial costs of this option too.
"As he is losing the chance to make those dreams real, he can now focus on enjoying his Jaco arm which will allow him to have some independence and, best of all, absolutely smash his dreams. The end goal was to get Adam the Jaco arm and we are achieving that, which is a dream come true in itself.
"None of this would have been possible without the help of those who have donated and raised funds for Adam so far. We can only hope that you will all still continue to help support Adam in the future."
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