Over lockdown, Suzy Stewart – who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and needs 24/7 care – has had her support significantly reduced and has had to be cared for by her mum, who is now her full-time carer.
When Suzy’s niece Enola Lagneau took the 22-year-old out on a rental bike from voluntary charity ‘Let’s get biking Dumfries and Galloway’, she noticed how much she enjoyed it.
Enola has now decided to start a fundraiser to try and get Suzy a disability bike.
She said: “The past year has been really hard in lockdown due to Suzy losing her care package of 35 hours per week. Suzy is a social young adult and loves to go out and do activities.
“Due to lockdown, only my granny and her partner have been caring for Suzy so she has spent most of the year indoors. This has had an impact on her mental and physical health.
“This bike would mean a lot to Suzy and the family. Suzy used to go out on the bike with her dad when she was little but now that she is an adult it is really hard to find someone able to take her out on the rental bike, especially with no support.”
Enola is planning to do a charity bike ride to raise cash for the disability bike but the fundraiser has already raised £870 of their £5000 target.
Enola added: “The reaction to the fundraiser has been overwhelming. It is lovely to see the local community caring about Suzy’s story and helping raise money and awareness.”
To donate visit: https://au.gofundme.com/f/help-suzy-get-a-disability-bike