Christmas comes early as brave Harrogate five-year-old gets his wheelchair wish

Christmas has come early for one brave five-year-old Harrogate boy when his dreams for a crucial new wheelchair finally came true.
Felix's new chair. Felix Williams(5) with his mum Sarah, sisters Amelie(10) and Kitty(8) and his new chair. (1611145AM2)Felix's new chair. Felix Williams(5) with his mum Sarah, sisters Amelie(10) and Kitty(8) and his new chair. (1611145AM2)
Felix's new chair. Felix Williams(5) with his mum Sarah, sisters Amelie(10) and Kitty(8) and his new chair. (1611145AM2)

In September, Felix Williams was left devastated when his hopes of a promised self-propelling wheelchair were dashed after being told his case was “no longer a priority”.

The Advertiser reported that the wheelchair, which Felix and his mother Sarah had already picked out during an initial assessment, would now cost them £3,000.

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Their heartbreaking tale touched the Harrogate community and soon the family were inundated with offers from generous residents, all eager to help them.

Felix Williams with his mum Sarah and his new chair. (1611145AM1)Felix Williams with his mum Sarah and his new chair. (1611145AM1)
Felix Williams with his mum Sarah and his new chair. (1611145AM1)

Eventually, Harrogate charity The Rainbow Fund managed to raise the money and Felix was finally able to pick out his much-needed wheelchair, complete with his favourite colours.

On Wednesday, November 9, the family’s long wait came to an end when his new wheelchair was delivered and Sarah said Felix is happier than ever before.

She said: “I kept telling Felix the chair would be coming but I don’t think he understood it was coming on Wednesday. When it was wheeled in, his face absolutely lit up.

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“He’s getting to grips with how to use it, he spent the first two days chasing the dog in it and now he’s moved on to chasing the cat. He’s using it in school and is now able to take the register down the hall.

Felix Williams with his mum Sarah and his new chair. (1611145AM1)Felix Williams with his mum Sarah and his new chair. (1611145AM1)
Felix Williams with his mum Sarah and his new chair. (1611145AM1)

“We went to the park and he was wheeling down with his two sisters. He went to see the ducks and drove forward to get a better look and feed them by himself for the first time ever.”

Felix suffers with an undiagnosed, progressive neurological condition and is unable to sit or move independently. Sarah explained that every day was a “huge challenge” for him in his old pushchair.

Unlike his old buggy, which Sarah had to push him around in, the new wheelchair means that Felix can move independently and with a greater sense of freedom.

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Sarah said: “The chair has given him so much more confidence and he’s using it all the time. It’s given him the freedom to move from room to room in the house.

“In the past I had to push him everywhere because it was just a buggy and it was parent led. The girls couldn’t push it because it was too heavy.”

Since his story first appeared in the Advertiser, Sarah said that Felix has become a “little local celebrity” in Harrogate, adding that she felt “blessed” that they lived in such a caring community.

The family is now fundraising for Felix to undergo crucial rehabilitation therapy in Canada which could help him finally crawl or sit up. To donate visit www.gofundme.com/2p5ctkk.

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