Rochdale women climb Snowdon to raise funds for comfy chair for little boy with complex needs

Sammie Rothwell, Sophie Bennion and Donna Barnes at the summit of Snowden

Three Rochdale women have raised over £1,200 towards a special chair for a little boy with complex needs by climbing Snowdon on Sunday 6 June.

Alfie Mitchell, eight, of Royton, who has global development delay and epilepsy, requires a specialist chair so he can spend more time downstairs with his family.

Unable to walk or sit up unaided, Alfie also has gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and is fed via a small feeding tube into his stomach, whilst lying down in bed. A new comfortable chair would let him be fed downstairs, and recline, as well as removing the need for belts and chest harnesses, which make him feel sick.

Sammie Rothwell, who cares for Alfie, and her friends, Sophie Bennion and Donna Barnes, took three-and-a-half hours to climb to the summit, before taking a further three hours to descend.

The chair – dubbed Alfie’s ‘chill chair’ – is estimated to cost around £2,400 but would make Alfie’s life much more comfortable

Sammie said: “If Alfie was to get this chair, it would mean he could spend more time downstairs with his mum and little sister and he would be able to feed in the chair too, as it reclines, instead of being in his bed.”

To date, £1,329 of a £2,000 goal has been raised.

Donations can be made via GoFundMe:

• www.gofundme.com/f/alfies-chill-chair