£30k aim to make Jamie’s life easier

Jamie Nicholls, 16, was diagnosed with the condition that affects his movement and speech when he was two.

His family have made various adaptations to their house in Boscombe Road, Southend, including installing ramps for his wheelchair and getting a special bed.

However, mum Hannah, 37, wants to make the house a more comfortable place for Jamie, by building a specially designed bathroom off his ground-floor bedroom, modifying the kitchen to allow him to cook and to widen doorways.

The cost of all the building work has been estimated at £56,000.

Hannah said: “It is very frustrating for him at the moment, because he cannot easily get around the house in his wheelchair. As he has got bigger there is less space for him to move around.

“It takes two of us to carry him up the stairs to bathe him twice a week, which is really difficult.

“We did think about moving house four years ago, but the market was really slow at that point and we would still have had to spend out money adapting parts of the new home anyway, so we decided to stay.

“He is learning life skills at school and we want to help him live more independently, but we cannot do this at the moment because of the layout of the ground floor.”

The designs for the adaptations will also allow Jamie, a student at Lancaster School, access to the back garden, which will be complete with wooden decking.

Hannah has already got planning permission for the alterations. She is in the process of applying for a grant from social services to fund part of the £56,000 costs.

To help boost funds, Jamie will be joined by his sister Chloe, 12, to take part in the Sunlight Colourthon walk on July 2.

Hannah has also organised a fundraising dinner night at the Salsa restaurant at the end of June. A raffle and party night will take place at Room 24, in September.

Hannah added: “He is a lovely young man and wants to do more things for himself.”

To make a donation, e-mail jjn95@hotmail.co.uk