THE family of a 33-year-old Woolston man battling Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has secured funding for a special Neater Eater robotic arm to help with daily tasks, following an urgent appeal.
Richard Butler was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in April this year and condition has progressed rapidly, and he now needs help with most daily tasks.
he recently trialled a Neater Eater robotic arm, a device that enables people with limited mobility to feed themselves. Using it gave him back a small but vital piece of independence. However, the equipment costs £8,797 and is not available through the NHS.
The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) pledged £2,000, leaving the family to raise the remaining amount.
A fundraiser was launched by his sister-in-law Sarah Butler from Warrington, together with her husband Paul, his brother, David, and their mum, Mandy, “to give him as much dignity and independence as we possibly can.”
Donations have gone directly towards purchasing the device, enabling Richard to retain some control over his daily life while living with this cruel, incurable disease. The family also hope the fundraiser raises awareness about the importance of assistive technology and the need for greater NHS support in the future.
Now the funds have been secured following an online Go Fundme appeal.
Sarah said: “Thanks to your generosity, we’ve now raised over £5,400! We are completely blown away. Every donation, share, and message of support has made this possible, and we are so deeply grateful.
“But that’s not all, we’re thrilled that the Council has agreed to fund the remaining gap, which means… the Neater Eater has been ordered!
“Even better, because of your overwhelming support, we’ll have a small amount left over from the fundraiser that we can use to help Richard in other ways. We’ll keep you posted on that.
“We couldn’t have reached this point without you. You are going to make a real difference in Richard’s life and you’ve also given our whole family a huge boost during a difficult time. So for now, we’ll leave you with a few words from Richard himself:
“Hello everyone, it’s hard to put into words the exact emotion that all your support has made me feel. It ranges from I love you all to “I don’t deserve this kind of support” it is truly remarkable how much you’ve all raised and I thankyou all more than you can ever imagine.
The fact that it gained media attention shows how mind-blowing you all are. Thank you and love you all.”
