Whizz Kidz on a roll

Jake

Lightweight manual chair

"Before, his only way of moving was rolling on the floor. He was continuously relying on someone else, not able to independently decide to go and do something," Liz says about her 3-year-old son Jake, who has the incredibly rare combination of dwarfism and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. But after receiving a tiny lightweight wheelchair from Whizz Kidz, Jake's world was transformed. "He can go where he wants, when he wants, on his own time.”

Liz describes the joy of the right wheelchair: "As soon as we got home, he wheeled over and started playing independently for the first time." Now Jake zips around exploring, playing, and embracing childhood – even zooming into puddles against his parents' wishes. "He's so much happier and more content," Liz says. The chair allows Jake the independence and freedom to "be a happy child enjoying his life.”

Logan

Powerchair

For 12-year-old Logan, his powered wheelchair from Whizz Kidz has been “life-changing,” his mum Charlotte says. "His independence is just the best thing ever... When he's in his powerchair, he's got a smile on his face. He's laughing his head off because he's going fast and doing his own thing."

Logan, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, says: "It just lets me go so fast... I feel free." His mum adds, "To get the perfect chair, to get the right seating position for Logan, for him to be comfortable, just changes him and his confidence level massively.” Logan won through an audition for High School Musical and appeared on stage every week despite it being "scary." His mum says, "We never thought that was possible for him...his face, he was so proud of himself.”

Ruby

Lightweight manual chair with power assist add-on

Ruby, 18, is a member of the Kidz Board and is sitting her A-levels. “Getting my lightweight wheelchair and power assist was life-changing. Before, the heavy chair stopped me from being independent - I couldn't easily hang out with friends or use public transport. But now, I feel so much more freedom and confidence.

“With my power assist, I can just zoom off wherever I want! It lets me escape from my parents and be more my age. Like when I stormed out recently - I could just zip away on my own. Going to Thorpe Park, using my power assist, meant my friends didn’t have to push me, and we could skip all the queues. It was cool.

“Having the right equipment has given me control over my future."