Top Scoring Frame Footballer, Toby from Hemel Hempstead, surprised with R82 Crocodile Walker donation

Toby Hawkridge, 11, who has Cerebral Palsy became the excited recipient of an R82 Crocodile Walking Frame, gifted to him recently by R82 whilst playing Frame Football at Basildon Soccability.

R82 UK, specialist suppliers of adaptive

solutions for disabled children and young

adults, are supporting UK Frame Football clubs

by donating eight Crocodile Walkers to young

players. Set up by amateur football coach,

Richard Seedhouse, Frame Football is a new

activity with teams forming across the UK. Many

players use crutches on a daily basis but utilise

a wheeled walking frame when they play. R82

UK hopes, by supporting the activity, it can raise

the profile of this inclusive sport and encourage

more children to get involved.

Toby, a passionate Tottenham Hotspur fan,

began participating in Frame Football at Basildon

Soccability nine months ago. Although he can

walk unaided, he uses crutches to help him on

a daily basis and is reliant on a frame to run,

go backwards and for longer distances. Toby,

from Hemel Hempstead, was born with Spastic

Diplegia CP, which led to him walking on tiptoes

in a scissoring pattern and requiring the use of a

wheelchair.

In 2011, having raised an incredible £64,000

in six months through fund raising, Toby’s

parents, Kelly and Terry, were able to take him

to America, for a life changing operation. Kelly

comments: “We were finding it very difficult to

access appropriate treatment in the UK and

crocodile

R82 UK Ltd.

Unit D4A, Coombswood Business Park, East Coombswood Way, Halesowen, West Midlands. B62 8BH

Tel. 0121 561 2222 / Fax. 0121 559 5437 / Email: R82uk@R82.com / www.R82.co.uk

R82 and Etac R82 UK Ltd is an Etac Group company supplying R82, Etac, Molift, Immedia, Convaid and Star Cushion branded products in the UK and Ireland from a head office base in Halesowen, Birmingham.

The extensive range of high quality assistive products for disabled children and adults includes wheelchairs, buggies, standing, walking, toileting and bathing aids, manual and mechanical transfer aids and pressure cushions. Sales and distribution of these products is supported with service and repair back up from a base in Basingstoke.

© R82 UK Ltd. February 2017

The parent company Etac AB is based in Stockholm, Sweden with manufacturing sites across Scandinavia. The Etac Group has a truly global reach with further subsidiary companies in the USA, Europe, Far East and Australia. The most recent acquisitions of US buggy manufacturer Convaid and Star Cushion Products Inc (pressure care solutions) has further strengthened the Etac Group’s product portfolio worldwide.

made the decision to fundraise so that Toby

could have what is seen as routine surgery in

America. A similar operation in the UK would

mean removing three pieces of Toby’s spine but

at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri, they

specialise in this operation and only remove

one piece of spine. They also operated on his

hamstrings to relieve tightness. Toby’s doctor,

Dr Parks, was amazing and the rehabilitation

process was a lot shorter in the US than it would

have been in the UK”.

Toby’s parents noticed positive changes almost

immediately post-surgery. Kelly explains: “Very

quickly, Toby stopped waking in pain at night.

This was a huge deal for all of us, as prior to the

operation my husband and I needed to help him

stretch to reduce nightly pain. We are extremely

grateful to everyone that helped and supported

us. Before surgery, Toby could not walk up and

down stairs, brush his teeth unaided or get in

and out of a bath – but now he can. We still go to

rehabilitation to help Toby through growth spurts

but he can walk unaided and can take part in

activities that he could not have coped with

before. His personality has changed too. He is

now very positive and eager to try new things. In

fact, Toby has just come back from a PGL holiday

where he took part in abseiling, canoeing and

used the zipwire.”

Toby, who will be starting at Adey Field

Secondary School, in September, loves the

X-Box and spending time with his family. He

also enjoys catching up with the UK children he

met in America undergoing similar treatment

to himself. The families meet twice a year and

have been on holiday together. Kelly says this

network of friends has been important for all of

them. Having similar experiences in the past,

they continue to share news about rehabilitation,

treatment and equipment. In fact, many of the

children have joined the same Frame Football

Club as Toby so that they see each other on a

weekly basis.

Toby was presented with his new Crocodile

Walker by R82 Product Advisor, Bernie Cantona.

She comments: “R82 UK is delighted to support

the Frame Football Association, a non- profit

group who work for the benefit of the player

and their family. It was a pleasure to meet Toby

and his family and handover the Crocodile to

Toby. The walker comes in three sizes and we

have provided Toby with the larger size, which

hopefully will see him through to his teenage

years. As the walker can be placed behind the

body, it allows freedom of movement whilst

providing maximum support and stability. It is

Best of all, as top scorer at Frame Football, I can now go even faster – it’s like being given a brand new Ferrari!

ideal for Frame Football. We hope the publicity

R82 raises will encourage other families to find

out about their local Frame Football clubs.”

Toby summarises: “I was really surprised to

receive my Crocodile Walker. I didn’t know

anything about it! My Dad knew but kept it a

complete surprise from my Mum and me. The

old walker I had was wobbly and too small and

I was getting frustrated using it as it was so

old! Having the Crocodile will make a massive

difference and my parents and I are very grateful

to R82. I still get tired walking long distances

but as the Crocodile has a seat I can now join

in with things like dog walks and take a break

when needed. Best of all, as top scorer at Frame

Football, I can now go even faster – it’s like

being given a brand new Ferrari!”

Picture captions:

1. Toby enjoying training with his new Crocodile.

2. Bernie Cantona from R82 presents Toby with his new donated Crocodile.

1.

2.