"He is dependent on the scooter" - Family's plea as tyres burst on Dad's scooter

Peter Thompson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years ago and now needs a mobility scooter to get around as the condition has progressed to its secondary stage.

But the inner tubes on the machine’s tyres keep blowing and, with the scooter out of warranty, 42-year-old Peter and wife Emma, 36, are having to pay to replace them every few days at £10 each time.

But Peter has lost his job as a security guard since his diagnosis and Emma has become his full-time career since she was made redundant from her job with Debenhams during the first coronavirus lockdown.

The couple have two children – Kieran, 15, and 12-year-old Reece – so money is too tight to keep replacing the inner tubes.

Now Emma has started a Go Fund Me page in the hope of raising £200 to equip Peter’s mobility scooter with solid tyres, which will not burst, and allow him to maintain his much-valued independence.

"He is very dependent on the scooter,” she said.

"He takes anti-depressants because he has had depression since the diagnosis and he needs the scooter to go out.

“He has gone from working 60 to 70 hours as a security guard a week to nothing. He used to ride a motorbike but since the diagnosis he has not been able to do that either – his mobility scooter is his one way of getting out and about.

"So we are trying to raise money to buy the kind of tyes that won’t puncture – it is £50 a tyre, so it is £200 in total.”

The couple got the scooter with help from the Multiple Sclerosis Society originally, but since Covid and a reduction in Government funding, the charity has been unable to provide extra grants to cover the cost of the new tyres.

"He is going through inner tubes every two days, which is something we just can’t afford, so we are doing what we can to get tyres that will not burst."

To donate to Emma’s appeal, click here.

A Message from the Editor

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.