Disabled Staveley fundraiser needs help to fund '˜life-changing' bed

Christopher Parker, from Staveley, suffers from cerebral palsy, a condition which has left him unable to walk or even get out of bed unaided.

His mum Kay and grandmother Marion both look after Chris around the clock – enabling him to live life as independently as possible.

However, this puts great strain on both of them and his grandmother’s ill-health in recent years has further worsened the situation.

He said: “The bed will give back my independence, and help two fantastic people who have done nothing but help me throughout my life.

“Getting out of bed is something we all take for granted, but for me this would mean more independence and more control over my life which would help me greatly in the future.”

Undeterred by his disability, Christopher says he is ‘determined’ to pursue his dream of being a radio presenter.

To this end, he has achieved two university degrees from Sheffield Hallam University.

The idea came about after the family were recently informed about the state-of-the-art ‘Retroflex’ bed, costing £6,000.

After realising the bed would not only enable Chris to get out of bed unaided but also allow him to become more independent, they set up a ‘crowd-funding’ page on the JustGiving website to try and raise the money.

n If anyone would like to donate to Chris’ fund, or would like more information, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chris-parker-bed1.