A mother from Lichfield desperate to raise enough money to pay for an extension to house vital physiotherapy equipment for her disabled son is taking part in a race to start her fundraising in the hope he will one day be able to walk again.
Joanne Smith, aged 28, is taking part in the Fradley 10k run tomorrow to raise money for her seven-year-old son Rhys Stoneman, who suffered a life-threatening bout of meningitis when he was a toddler. Miss Smith, of Miller Close, will be pushing Rhys’ wheelchair in tomorrow’s race.
His older brother Kyle, aged 10, and a gang of family and friends will run alongside.
The family want to raise £20,000 to pay for an extension to their home in Miller Close, which does not have enough space for crucial physiotherapy equipment.
Rhys needs regular, intensive physiotherapy to ensure his bones and muscles develop as well as possible, and to avoid facing painful corrective operations.
Miss Smith believes, with sustained treatment, her son could walk again.
The organisers of the Fradley run started the fundraising with a £100 donation to Rhys’ fund.
Miss Smith said: “It’s brilliant, it all seems to be coming together now.
“David Hitchman from soccerprint.co.uk has also donated some t-shirts for us, they have a picture of Rhys and our contact details on the back.”
The devoted mum said her sons were getting excited about the prospect of the race. She said: “Kyle has been out training with his dad, and Rhys is really excited, he thinks its brilliant.
“As for me, I’m just about prepared for it now, I’ve been running at Stowe Pool to get ready.”
Miss Smith is keen for anybody who would like to help with the fundraising effort to get in touch.
Contact Miss Smith on 01543 416338.
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