Six-year-old twins Tommy and Nathan Bulloch can undo their car seats and climb into the front of the car while their horrified mum is driving on the motorway, risking not only their own safety, but putting other drivers in peril too!<\/p>\n
The identical twins from the same egg have an extremely rare genetic condition affecting just one in 20 million people, and means they have the development age of toddlers with absolutely no awareness of danger.<\/p>\n
Mum Michelle McNair, from Rochester, is literally at her wits end, she said: \u201cThe only reason Tommy didn\u2019t open the front passenger door was because I screamed at him to stop. I need someone to travel with me to keep the twins in their car seats, but this isn\u2019t always practical. I have the school run to do and take the twins to regular hospital appointments in London, which results in lots of emergency stops so I can plug them back into their car seats.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family\u2019s local health services won\u2019t fund specialist car seats so Michelle and partner Jason Bulloch desperately searched for another way, which is when specialist car seat professionals told them about Newlife.<\/p>\n
Newlife is the largest charity provider of children\u2019s disability equipment, and has given Nathan a \u00a3781 specialist car seat with covered clips and specialist chest strap, while Tommy\u2019s \u00a3852 seat has these plus an extra lock, with a key that Michelle keeps out of his reach.<\/p>\n
Michelle added: \u201cI can go out in the car now without panicking about crashing the car if one of the boys climbs out of their seat. I know they are safe and secure for all the day to day journeys we have to do. That\u2019s all I wanted, it\u2019s so small and simple, but it\u2019s something others take for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right now, Newlife has nine disabled and terminally ill children in Kent in need of specialist equipment and must raise \u00a39,556 to help them. Newlife has already supported 365 children across Kent.<\/p>\n
Newlife\u2019s head of Charity Operations, Stephen Morgan said: Car seats have become essential to daily life for all children to keep them safe. The law insists upon it \u2013 unless a child is disabled in which case an exemption can be applied for.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy should disabled children be any less entitled to travel in safety? A specialist car seat can cost up to \u00a33,000 which means families can be virtually housebound.<\/p>\n
\u201cTommy and Nathan\u2019s story shows that the right equipment at the right time can make all the difference. It\u2019s great we could help Tommy and Nathan, but there are many others in Kent who need our help too.<\/p>\n