A DISABLED girl from Bromsgrove had her dreams come true thanks to kind-hearted fund-raisers.
Heaven-Leigh Murrell is unable to ride a two-wheeled bike because of her disability so needed a specially made Tomcat trike which cost £1,416. Each trike is tailored to suit each rider’s unique requirements.
The eight-year-old has Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which causes symptoms, including obesity due to an excessive appetite and hypotonia – meaning her muscles are never fully relaxed.
The girl’s mum Julez Murrell was unable to pay for the much-needed trike which would allow her daughter to ride independently and enjoy life as well as get the exercise she needed because of her disability.
But, thanks to a donation from the Family Fund of £800 and a further one of £616 from the Rotary Club of Bromsgrove and the Len Giles Trust, Heaven-Leigh now has the trike of her dreams.
Julez said having a Tomcat trike, which split into two parts within a matter of seconds, would make transporting it so much easier.
She added she had now donated Heaven-Leigh’s old trike to her school Chadsgrove Specialist Sports College for other children to enjoy.
“Seeing my daughter achieve things in life which at times I never thought possible is truly rewarding in itself,” Julez said.
“I’d also like to say a big heartfelt thank-you to all the supporters of these charities, who spread hope, love and joy through their simple acts of kindness.
“Their selfless kindness has impacted my child’s and my life, but more importantly the lives of children and adults with different disabilities and helping others within the community.”
Tony Docherty, Bromsgrove Rotary Club president, said Heaven-Leigh had a disability which greatly affected her life and in the club they had a number of members who knew about Prader-Willi Syndrome and the impact of it so understood how important the trike would be to the girl.
“It was a very good cause for us to support – she is a lovely, lovely girl.”
Tony visited Heaven-Leigh to see her in action on her new trike which, because of the youngster’s motor skill problems, has a handle at the back to control the steering and brakes.
“I was running up and down the road with her and it was freezing cold but she did not want to stop,” he said.
“It was really heart-warming and lovely to see how much she was enjoying riding the trike when we went to see her – she is such a sweet girl.”
