Story
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Birthday gift of a lifetime</span></strong></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">A children’s charity desperately wants support to help the birthday wish of a disabled footie fanatic come true.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Eleven-year-old Alex Grice from Nantwich has Cerebral Palsy Quadriplegia, a condition that affects his mobility and means he requires a wheelchair for his day to day needs. He currently has a manual chair, but has to rely on his parents to push him everywhere including on and off the football pitch!</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">In time for his 12<sup>th</sup> Birthday in March, Caudwell Children is campaigning to help buy a specialist Spectra Powerchair worth £5,500, which will allow Alex to do things he is so desperate to do for the very first time. This will include being able to be part of his footie team, Cheshire Blades, independently. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Cheshire Blades is a football club based in Shavington</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">which has provisions for both able bodied and disabled children.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Mum, Linda Grice, said “For him to be able to join in on his own without having to be pushed would be a dream come true for Alex. It opens up a whole world of opportunity for him and us as a family.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">At the minute Alex has to rely on us to help him join in or rely on someone to push him if he wants to spend time with his sisters.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Parents Linda and Stephen hope people will understand the importance of the fundraising campaign. </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Mrs Grice, added “At the moment Alex can’t go out on his own and do normal things like go to the shops with friends. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">We live in a rural area and getting out in the chair he currently has is almost impossible.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Naturally, he wants to spend more time with friends and go places without having to rely on mum and dad to push him, but this comes at a high price.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Following extensive surgery to rebuild his hip three years ago, the Hebden Green pupil has had to become completely reliant on a wheelchair. Having a powerchair will give Alex more freedom and independence.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Mrs Grice added “He desperately wants to spend time with friends and he is excited at the thought of being able to do things his friends do without having his parents to push him around.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s frustrating for us knowing he is restricted by the equipment he has and the cost of getting new equipment like this powerchair so he can have increased confidence and independence.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Caudwell Children provide direct donations of treatment, therapy and equipment for sick and disabled children throughout the UK. Vital fundraising takes place throughout the year to provide youngsters like Alex with life changing equipment.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Trudi Beswick is the CEO of Caudwell Children, she said: “The family contacted the Charity after being made aware of the work we do and we are now eager to help aid Alex’s progress and make this Birthday wish for him and his family that extra bit special, by providing him with an appropriate wheelchair.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;"> A chair such as this costs over £5,000 and we are asking kind-hearted members of the local community to help us provide this life-changing equipment by contributing to the fundraising or by holding their own Charity event. Any help is gratefully received and should we raise over the required amount the funds will be used to support another donation for a similar sick or disabled child.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: small;">Mrs Grice added “Without charities like Caudwell Children something like this would be completely out of the question and definitely could not be done for Alex.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">Anybody wishing to help raise funds for Alex’s appeal are urged to contact the Charity immediately on 01782 600844 or visit </span></span><a href="http://www.justgiving.com/AlexGrice"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.justgiving.com/AlexGrice</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"></span></p>
<p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
