What Katie did to get new chair (From Barry And District News)

What Katie did to get new chair

A DISABLED Barry teenager was left without a usable wheelchair after a company went bust - taking with it £1,000 of fund-raisers money.

But thanks to the Variety Club, 16-year-old Katie Dee has taken delivery of a brand new custom-built chair.

Katie, of St Teilo's Avenue, has severe cerebral palsy. It affects her co-ordination, balance and speech and she cannot get about without her wheelchair.

Realising Katie had out-grown her last one, Katie's mum Mandi, 38, set about trying to fund a new chair.

She told the News: "A brand new chair costs nearly £3,000. We'd raised £1,000 and put in an order for a chair, using the donated money as a deposit."

The company Mandi was dealing with told her it would take eight weeks to make the chair. But when after two months she hadn't heard anything, Mandi gave the company a call.

She added: "I was distraught to hear the firm had called in the liquidators. We'd lost the whole amount and were back to square one. Katie was fast out-growing her old chair and it was beginning to get desperate."

But her plight came to the attention of the South Wales Committee of the Variety Club.

Appeals officer Violet Bolt said: "We heard about Katie through the nurse at her surgery.

There was no doubt Katie needed the chair, and we proceeded with the application on her behalf."

The London office gave their approval and Katie was measured up for her new chair on February 14. Mandi said: "We were so grateful. The Variety Club paid the whole amount. Katie took Golden Hearts in to school to help raise money. It was a nice coincidence the chair was ordered on Valentine's Day."

More information on Variety Club appeals, from Violet Bolt on 01446 738646