WARRINGTON twins Mia and Lucy Moran, who have cerebral palsy and a rare genetic condition, have been given a new lease of life after taking delivery of two specially adapted trikes.
The Terrier Hitch Combo Trikes cost £1,800 each and there was no way the girls’ parents Michael and Emma, from Warrington, could afford to buy two.
Instead the Steve Morgan Foundation and The Boparan Charitable Trust stepped in and presented the trikes to the girls on the day of their eighth birthday.
Mum Emma said: “They’ve changed the girls’ lives. It has given them a new lease of life. Their eyes lit up when they arrived on their birthday. We’re so grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation and The Boparan Charitable Trust.”
Emma, who also has a 13-year-old son called Harry, had no idea there was anything wrong with the twins until they were diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of three.
“Lucy is more severe than Mia,” said their Mum. “She wasn’t sitting up. Then they were given a blood test and diagnosed with a genetic condition called Rett syndrome.”
Rett syndrome is a brain disorder that occurs almost exclusively in girls. After birth, girls with classic Rett syndrome have six to 18 months of apparently normal development before developing severe problems with language and communication.
Emma said: “Lucy can’t sit unaided so needs to be support. Because of Rett syndrome they can’t talk but they both have lovely personalities.”
The girls attend Fox Wood School, in Warrington, and her parents became aware of the Terrier Hitch Combo Trikes.
Emma explained: “Mia has a personalised physiotherapy programme in place at home and school and activities such as swimming and riding around on a specially adapted bike have been recommended by the children’s physiotherapist.
“Mia was assessed for a Terrier Hitch Combo Trike but there’s no way we could get one for Mia and not for Lucy so we approached The Boparan Charitable Trust and the Steve Morgan Foundation and they met the cost between them. We are so grateful.
“The trikes mean that instead of going in a specially adapted wheelchair they’re able to ride around and be included. It means we can do normal things as a family and it makes such a difference.
“As soon as you put Mia on her trike she wants to get going. She gets so excited and wants to go straight away. It’s lovely to hear them laughing and seeing them enjoy themselves.”
Jane Harris, director of regional funding at the Steve Morgan Foundation, said: “Sometimes the smallest awards can make the biggest difference. This isn’t a typical award for us but we were delighted to help and put a smile on Mia and Lucy’s faces.”
Mia and Lucy Moran
