Mexborough disabled boy's joy hits the road after receiving specialist new car seat

A young disabled school boy can hit the road again after receiving a specialist car seat that will help to free him and his family from being '˜prisoners in their own home'.
Young Freddie with his mum Evonne and the new seat.Young Freddie with his mum Evonne and the new seat.
Young Freddie with his mum Evonne and the new seat.

Freddie Duty, five, of Mexborough, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and his condition means that he requires constant supervision as he has a lack of special awareness and has no sense of danger.

But the school boy, who attends Saint Alban’s Catholic Primary School in Denaby Main, has now received a specialist car seat from a charity that will allow him to go out more and travel with his family.

Trudi Beswick, of Caudwell Children.Trudi Beswick, of Caudwell Children.
Trudi Beswick, of Caudwell Children.
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Mum Evonne said that because Freddie is tall for his age normal car seats were deemed unsuitable for him and the family faced a challenge to find a specialist seat that matched his needs.

She added: “When he becomes restless he can climb out of a normal car seat, due to his size.

“He also likes snug and comforting surroundings and the standard seats are just too small to give him this environment.”

As a result travelling in the car became a stressful experience so Evonne and her husband Dean decided to look at buying a specialist seat for their son. However, Evonne was staggered when she discovered the cost.

Trudi Beswick, of Caudwell Children.Trudi Beswick, of Caudwell Children.
Trudi Beswick, of Caudwell Children.
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She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I was told that the seat that Freddie needed was £650.

“It was way out of our budget and we resigned ourselves to spending more time at home.”

But now thanks to Caudwell Children, the national charity that provides practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, Freddie is set to hit the road again.

Evonne said: “The charity gave us the fundraising support that we needed to buy the chair.

“It’s fantastic and Freddie loves it.

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“When we went to look at it Freddie climbed in without any fuss.

“It’s got a high adjustable head support, which keeps him relaxed, a five point safety harness, which clips between the chest pads and prevents him from escaping, and deep, softly padded side wings for maximum comfort. We can’t thank the charity enough for their support.”

Caudwell Children offers help to the 400,000 families across the UK with disabled children that are living in or on the margins of poverty.

To donate visit the charity’s website at www.justgiving.com/caudwell/