Mum Overjoyed By Anonymous Donor's Pledge Towards Much Need Wheelchair For 4-Year-Old Daughter
Mum Overjoyed By Mystery Donation For Daughter's Wheelchair
SWNS/The Huffington Post UK
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A four-year-old girl with a disability will be starting school in style after she received £3,500 for a new wheelchair from an anonymous donor.
Katherine Shrubsole has an rare brain disorder called periventricular leukomalacia, which causes hearing loss and epilepsy, and causes her to get exhausted quickly.
Mum Amy Shrubsole, from Dover, Kent, launched an online donation page after Katherine grew too big for her previous wheelchair and a replacement was not available on the NHS.
After reading about Katherine living with periventricular leukomalacia a mystery donor pledged £3,500 anonymously on the GoFundMe page.
Shrubsole, 31, said: "I'm just absolutely amazed. The person that has done it wants to remain anonymous, I'm just overwhelmed. I can't say thank you enough."
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The mum explained: "It will improve [Katherine's] independence although she's very independent anyway.
"She does not like to admit when her legs are tired, she's a bit stubborn like that."
On the donation page, Shrubsole explained her daughter really needed the new wheelchair to meet all her needs when she starts school.
Katherine's condition is a type of brain injury particularly common in babies born prematurely.
Brain tissue is deprived of blood and oxygen, causing nerve damage which leads to mobility issues for the sufferer.
The family hope the new chair will be delivered in time for Katherine to use when she starts school at Dover's Whitfield Aspen School in September.
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The donor pledged the sum on 4 August and with other amounts, it took the family over the £4,500 they needed for the chair.
Shrubsole has now updated the donation page. She wrote: "Having reached our initial target of £4,500 for Katherine's wheelchair we would like to continue raising funds to help other families. In light of this we are adjusting our target to £6,000.
We have updated our description and target with a view to supporting Katherine's friends who are also in need of specialist equipment."
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