A SPECIALIST £2,000 buggy has been donated by a charity to help a profoundly autistic Bournemouth boy.

Harry Jackson, five, has severe learning difficulties, global development delay and is non-verbal. This means he is sensitive when he is out and dislikes crowded places and being close to other people.

When Harry outgrew his high street buggy, parents Lucy and Peter could not find an affordable replacement to fit their boy’s needs, resulting in the family facing difficulties getting out and about.

However, with the help of Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and Wheelchair Services, they were able to find funding for suitable equipment.

“We put together a comprehensive application and we were delighted at the speed with which the buggy arrived," said Peter. "The buggy is just great, especially as we were at the point of not being able to get out.

“Harry is very happy in the buggy now, it’s easy to get him in and out of if he feels he can walk and it has enclosed sides which help him feel safe.

“We are eternally grateful for the buggy. We have had to fight for every piece of equipment we have so it was refreshing to approach Newlife and not have to jump through any hoops.”

He added that Harry, a pupil at Beaucroft special school, loves going out into the forest and down by the sea in the summer.

“Because of the buggy it means we can do this again now.”

Peter and Lucy are now backing an appeal by Newlife to provide specialist equipment for other children with disabilities in the area.

The charity is currently working with the families of seven children with disabilities or a terminal illness in Dorset who need specialist equipment to change their lives.

Statutory services in Dorset often have a responsibility to make equipment provision – but when help is declined, Newlife steps in. The charity challenges many of these decisions successfully.

However, where it is unable to overturn them, it provides the equipment through a range of grant and loan services. This is done with the support of front-line health professionals across Dorset who have helped Newlife support disabled children.

Newlife has helped 83 children in Dorset through equipment grants and loans totalling more than £112,639.

For information about Newlife’s fund for Dorset, visit: newlifecharity.co.uk/dorset.