A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched to enable a boy with severe disabilities to experience 'his happy place'.

William Chambers, of Marton, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and severe global development delay, in addition to other complex medical issues.

Four years ago a hydrotherapy pool was built at his home through fundraising and support from the local community.

However following a tracheostomy to help deal with the 12-year-old's constant chest infections, he is no longer able to use the pool.

His mum Joanna, said: “William’s world is experienced in a very different way to how you or I experience it. He loves being in water, and being in a really warm place with lots of bubbles which is why we launched the campaign to build a special hydrotherapy room at home complete with hoisting facilities, lights, music and sounds.”

"William has had a really rough 2022, spending only 11 weeks at home and the rest of the year either in Leeds or Sheffield Children's Hospitals with issues with chest infections.

"It was decided it would be in his best interests to give him a tracheostomy which he had in July 2022. We got home in January and it's made an enormous difference to his health, we don't have to do regular chest physio and he has bounced back from illnesses without the need to go into hospital.

Joanna added: "The knock on effect however has been his ability to access his favourite activity, swimming.

"The tracheostomy site needs to be kept dry as it's a direct link to his lungs, so we have to be very careful how he accesses the pool.

"The safest way we have found is using his hoist and sling to let him kick and wiggle but keep his neck out of the water.

"However, his current hoist only let's him access a tiny part of the pool. We need to get a H track fitted, this would let him swim again as it would move around the whole pool area, allowing him to kick and swim around."

William was born three months early weighing just 1lb 8oz and battled illness, including swine flu when he was two months old, after which extensive brain and lung damage was found. He cannot move his body and also has epilepsy, visual impairment, microcephaly and chronic lung disease.

Joanna said: "Swimming is his happy place, he lights up in the water and it connects him to the world like nothing else can. It's also amazing for his cardiovascular system and his bones as he gets the chance to exercise, something that's very hard for him to do due to his cerebral palsy."

Joanna said she had set up a crowdfunding page and had been 'blown away' by people's kindness.

"I have had some wonderful donations already and would like to thank everyone for their continued support."

To make a donation go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Justforwilliam?