Willenhall family's race against time to buy vital equipment for 10-year-old daughter
A Willenhall family is racing against time to raise vital funds to purchase a new machine for their 10-year-old daughter who has limited control of all four limbs and cannot sit unaided, walk, crawl, stand or talk.
Young Lillie Windsor has quadriplegic spastic and athletic cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease and is gastrostomy fed.
She has been helped to avoid pain and many operations on her legs, knees and hips after, at the age of three, becoming only the second child in the country to use an Innowalk.
People generously made donations to fund that £11,000 machine and now there are 170 children across the country with an Innowalk machine.
However, Lillie is now outgrowing her Innowalk and her family need to raise £25,000 for a new machine that will last her for life.
Her parents Kim and Ben Windsor, a 39-year-old self-employed carpenter, have now appealed for people to donate to a JustGiving page and so far the sum of £11,800 has been raised.
Kim, aged 37, said: "Lillie uses her Innowalk for 45 minutes everyday and her orthopaedic consultant has told us it has prevented numerous operations on her hips, knees and legs.
"It also helps with her spasticity in her legs so she is not in pain and we have just been told she has only weeks or months, depending on her growth, in the present machine.
"If she outgrows this machine and is left for a period without one then her feet will twist.
"It is imperative we get a new machine as it is literally Lillie's future that is at stake and if she does not get one this will affect the quality of her life.
"As the old machine is more than five years old it cannot be part exchanged so her small Innowalk will go up for sale with other bits of equipment to help raise money.
"The new machines are very advanced now compared to her current one and would exercise her arms as well as her legs.
"This is something Lillie needs as she has a lot of tightness in her arms and it also has a screen that will tell her how fast she is walking and how far she has travelled.
"The machine is such an important part of everyday life for Lillie and has made such a difference to her but because she is currently having a growth spurt we are very quickly running out of time."
People wanting to help Lillie get a new machine which will be adjustable to last throughout her life are asked to donate via the justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Lilliesbiggerinnowalk website.
