Wolverhampton army veteran hammers it home for cerebral palsy
An amateur handyman and Army veteran has started creating homemade disability rehabilitation equipment to help those who need them – all from his Wolverhampton shed workshop.
Mark Dickinson, an amateur DIY enthusiast and veteran of the Royal Anglian Regiment, has been making the equipment as a more cost-efficient way of making early intervention therapy equipment more accessible for disabled children.
Mark set up the KatNat not-for-profit organisation because of his granddaughter Nathelene who has cerebral palsy. The private therapy ultimately ended up costing around £13,000, where Nathelene mainly used a tool called the Pikler Triangle.
Mark talked about the cost of the equipment that inspired him to make his own, he said: "My daughter told me that the piece of equipment she used was around £160 - it cost me around £30 to make myself.
"I decided after that that I would carry on making the equipment for those who need them. I hate seeing families who need this stuff going without, If they don't have the equipment at home then they don't get the same opportunity to grow really."
The retired veteran from Oxley, now makes a range of different equipment, including parallel bars and seat benches, with all donations going into the business to make more apparatus for those needing it.
Mark said: "Really the heroes in all of this are the children, parents, rehabilitation nurses and the charities who help these families. They are the real heroes.
"I would personally like to thank Mark Boyce and the members of the Rotary Club of Wolverhampton for giving their constant support and for their donations."
Mark currently struggles with mental health issues and PTSD that prevents him from working, He said that creating the equipment helps keep his mind focused.
Funding for the materials to create the equipment comes from Mark himself, as well as donations from the public.
Anyone looking to donate to the cost of a piece of equipment can find the KatNat Just Giving page at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nathaleneandkatiecpfoundation, or visit the KatNat Facebook page.
