Parents’ bike plea for blind teen with cerebral palsy – Birmingham Live

A blind teen who has cerebral palsy hopes her wish for a new bike will come true this year - from the kindness of strangers.

Grace Goddard, 19, who also has learning difficulties and epilepsy, would love to get out and about her home in Erdington.

But she has been stuck inside and not been able to do much exercise during the pandemic.

Her parents Lynne and Colin Goddard have launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise 5,300 as they cannot afford to buy her the specialist trike themselves.

They said the Tomcat Apprentice Bullet would allow them to hold on and walk safely behind the rider as she independently peddles away.

"The trike would help her muscles and cordination. She could stretch her legs otherwise she's stuck in the house," her father Colin, 64, told BirminghamLive.

"It's something she can actually get on and enjoy with the safety of us being with her.

"We control it with steering from behind and she has handle bars and does the peddling. The peddles can be adjusted into different positions, which makes her stretch her legs out.

"She would also have to hold her head up to look forward as she's registered blind, so she has to use as much of her sight as possible. One eye is very poor and her other eye has about eight percent vision."

The teenager, who has left school and has no day care, is hoping the generosity of strangers will make her wish a reality.

"I love the trike," she said.

Her mum Lynne, 55, said they did not want to ask for funds - but know that it would make her daughter so happy.

She added: "Grace is a happy child, but cant do much for herself. I have to do everything for her.

"This trike will help her legs. She will be able to go out on her trike with me behind her and will get her to use the peddles."

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Parents' bike plea for blind teen with cerebral palsy - Birmingham Live