Express Christmas appeal hits £80k – ‘We’re overwhelmed by your compassion’ | UK | News

Express readers have provided Whiz Kidz with an incredible outpouring of support, donating a staggering £80,000 to our Christmas appeal. A children’s wheelchair charity has been overwhelmed by generous donations at a time of greatest need. The company had to close the waiting list for the first time in 35 years due to rising costs and high demand.

Sarah Pugh, managing director of Whiz Kidz, said: “We’ve reached another incredible milestone thanks to the support and generosity of Express readers. We never expected to be so touched by the public’s compassion and now reaching the £80k target is truly remarkable.

“This will make a life-changing difference for so many young people – not only unlocking their childhood, but also for their entire families.

“These donations create a powerful ripple effect and we cannot thank the public enough for standing by us and supporting our work.”

The cash will help young people like five-year-old Nina Dornak, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition.

Her first Whiz Kidz chair arrived the day before her third birthday and was “the best gift ever.”

Mum Nathalie, 42, said: “This was life changing for him and for us because he suddenly had independence he never had before.

“When he took his wheelchair to the nursery, suddenly he was able to move from room to room, explore, lie down, make friends.

“I remember the kindergarten teachers bursting into tears, they couldn’t believe it.”

Nina was first given a lightweight Panthera chair, which she later replaced with a sturdier model in yellow, her favorite color.

He also has an NHS wheelchair but it tips over easily and he doesn’t feel safe in it.

Young was born in 2020, shortly before the pandemic took hold. Nathalie recalled: “The first year we became parents for the first time, we didn’t know what was right and what was wrong.

“We went with our gut feeling and slowly but surely realized that compared to our NCT [parenting class] Some things were a little different for Nina, like friends and tumbling.

“We had numerous hospital appointments and they couldn’t find out what was going on.”

Sidcup’s family traveled to the Czech Republic for physiotherapy, where Nina was diagnosed with SMA.

After returning to the UK, he began receiving Spinraza, a promising gene therapy, on the NHS. The injections, given every four months, aim to slow the progression of his condition.

Nathalie said Whiz Kidz’s support “makes life easier without us having to worry about a wheelchair.”

She added: “From an appointments and medical standpoint, we might worry about him getting what he needs.”

Nina’s father Pavel, 46, said: “Whizz Kidz plays an amazing role in society and fills this gap that the NHS cannot fill.

“They do a great job, you can trust them. This has given Nina independence.”

You can find out more about our Christmas appeal here.