My name is Samuel Ainsworth I’m 15 years old, when I was 3 I was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease an inherited muscle-wasting condition. Having CMT means I have smaller, weaker muscles, and have loss of sensation to my arms, hands, lower legs. This means I find any type of walking very difficult, I get tired extremely easily, get pain when walking and am easily unbalanced whilst walking meaning I have a tendency to trip and fall on a daily basis.

In January 2016 I was diagnosed with CIDP, a rare incurable disorder. Having CIDP has significantly affected my ability to care for myself on a daily basis as my hands have now become significantly weaker than they were previously. When walking long distances I have to use an electric wheelchair, this is only useful on a flat surface, and of no use off road. I now struggle to propel my 'manual wheelchair' independently as because I have loss of sensation to my fingers so there is a risk of them getting trapped in the wheels, therefore I have become reliant on others to 'push' my wheelchair whilst out and about.

I enjoy being and playing outside, I like to go camping with my family where we go on on walks in the forrest and on the beach, I am now reliant on family members to push me in my chair. I am a Burnley Volunteer Police cadet and enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities however I am again reliant on my friends to push me around. As a person I like to be as independent as possible, I am always up for a new challenge and like to try new things.

This Mountain Trike is an off-road wheelchair designed specifically to help get me around on rough ground. It would give me the ability to go whenever and wherever I want, it will give me the ability to be independent whilst with my family and friends and the ability to do activities on my own, this is why I am trying to raise money for a Mountain Trike wheelchair. Thankyou for reading. Sam.