Abbie gets new lease of life

A youngster who suffers from a rare degenerative disease is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to a gift from Staffordshire hospital staff.

Two-year-old Abbie Phillips, from Cannock Wood, has spent the last few days getting used to a new wheelchair, specially designed for her by staff at Cannock Chase Hospital. Abbie, who suffers from Leigh's Disease which attacks the central nervous system, collected her new chair on Thursday morning and has already put it to the test.

On Friday her 11-year-old brother Kyle Lewis left strict instructions to his younger sister that she was to meet him on his way home from school which she did.

Abbie and her mother Sheryl Lewis have even been out on Cannock Chase watching the rabbits and listening to the birds while taking in the views.

Before having the wheelchair Abbie, from Chestall Road, was unable to go out for long periods as she has weak muscles and cannot sit comfortably.

Mrs Lewis, aged 33, said: "Since we have got the chair home Abbie has loved it. She has been sitting in it in the house and she even uses it to sit at the table.

"It's great for her because now we can go out on longer walks and she loves being outside in the countryside."

The wheelchair has been designed and built on a buggy frame that supports Abbie's head and under her arms and has a special device to stop her legs slipping off.

Abbie was diagnosed with Leigh's Disease when she was 10-months-old. It is an inherited life-shortening disorder that causes degeneration of the central nervous system.

She was first referred to the wheelchair service in November.

The wheelchair and equipment service at Cannock has 4,500 patients, with more than 125 new clients a month referred by GPs or hospital consultants.