The aunt of a boy living with a rare muscle-wasting condition has won a battle to see a wheelchair accessible swing in her local park.
Angela Turnbull has been campaigning for the better part of a year to see the swing installed in Hylton Castle play park, Sunderland, with works due to start on Monday.
Her nephew Will lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare condition that predominantly affects males causing progressive muscle weakness and deterioration. Aged just nine, the youngster has to use a wheelchair.
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Angela, a project manager for Newcastle Hospitals Foundation Trust, said: “It is so important that all children get to enjoy public playgrounds and it will make me so happy to see Will enjoying something like this in a wheelchair. It is an enormous achievement.
"There are plenty of other children with limited mobility who will also be able to make use of this incredible equipment and that makes me smile. I’m hoping to get Will down there on the opening day.”
Will’s mum Caroline Calvert, added: “As a parent of a child with a muscle-wasting condition, it is very sad when they cannot join in with their peers. We are so happy and grateful that this means William can feel included in his local community, playing with his friends and family.”
Angela has spent the best part of the year in regular conversation with local councillors and the council too. She managed to get buy-in with the support of a local councillor early in the process.
Regional Development Manager-North of England & East Midlands at Muscular Dystrophy UK, Susanne Driffield, said: “What Angela has achieved is fantastic and will make a huge difference to local families.
"The whole family are so passionate about everything they do, and we are grateful for their continued support of the charity.”
Angela and her family have been supporting muscle-wasting charity Muscular Dystrophy UK since Will was young. Her next mission is to have accessible beach wheelchairs installed at Roker Beach.
You can find out more about Will's story here.
