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Special seat has Seb sitting pretty

19 February 2009

Charity helps out 5-year-old

YOUNG Sebastian Lewthwaite is travelling in style thanks to his new top-of-the-range car seat. The five-year-old, who suffers from Microcephaly, epilepsy and global development delay, was given a grant from the Chronicle’s Sunshine Fund for a new, specialised car seat to travel to and from his home in

Because of his condition, Sebastian has severe learning difficulties, cannot stand without support and is in a wheelchair. His physical difficulties means he has no control of his pelvic areas and slips down normal car seats into an unsafe position. This meant his parents struggled on journeys as they had to continually stop to secure him.

His parents, Simon Lewthwaite and Louise Metcalfe, applied for the grant to buy the bubbly youngster a seat with extra straps that keeps him in the correct posture while travelling. The charity’s donation means the youngster, who lives with his parents and younger brother Samuel in Longhorsely, Northumberland, gets to sit back and safely enjoy family days out.

Ms Metcalfe, 38, said: “Seb grew out of his old seat and always used to slip down under the belt in ordinary car seats, which is uncomfortable and unsafe. Since we got the seat, he can now enjoy car journeys and even look out of the window. “We can relax more as well, as we know he’s secure and supported.
“We live in a rural area, so we use the car a lot. We even use it to travel very long distances to the South West when Seb has appointments. “We are very thankful to the Sunshine Fund for their generosity.”

While the local authority funds a special car seat when Sebastian is out and about with his school, they couldn’t fund a seat for home use. Jo Harris, manager of the Sunshine Fund, said: “It’s great to see Sebastian can now enjoy being in the car while travelling safely. “That’s why we continue with all of our fundraising, to help as many children in the area we can. “There’s no substitute for the smile on a child’s face – it usually spreads to their loved ones too.”

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