Alness man (21) living with life-limiting condition seeks to expand horizons with new set of wheels; Duchenne muscular dystrophy sufferer aiming to'live my life to the full'
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A DETERMINED young man living with a life-limiting condition is touching hearts with his bid to expand his horizons with a new set of wheels.
Dylan Bogue (21) from Alness lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is confined to an NHS-issue wheelchair which will take him about a mile before it needs charged.
With help from his aunt, he’s fundraising for a state-of-the-art Extreme X8 to help him live his life to the full.
He’s ready to take on a series of challenges starting with completing 25 miles in 25 days. He said: “The current wheelchair I have will only go for about a mile before it needs a charge.
“A new wheelchair will help me to gain my independence and freedom to live my life to the full.”
His dream wheelchair would help him in his work as a volunteer in the administration department of Albyn Housing and also allow the keen Celtic and Ross County fan who loves to attend concerts and music festivals be more independent.
The last time he was on a beach was when his dad carried him there as a wee boy. The all-terrain wheelchair would get him onto the beach and even allow him to navigate the often muddy terrain of a music festival. Inspired by his can-do attitude, aunt Karen Brownlie has set up a gofundme page to support his dream. She said: “Dylan is a wonderful young man, who has all the energy and drive that any 21-year-old would have. He wants to get out there and do things, and we want him to help him achieve his dreams.”
She had said she had never tried such a fundraising venture but was “quite overwhelmed” with the support to date. She said: “The chair will cost £16,000 altogether and we will fundraise for as long as it takes, even if it is one or two years.
“The community in Alness has already been fantastic, and people are coming up with other fundraising ideas to help us. A huge thank you goes out to the Alness community for their support.
“Muscular dystrophy is a life-long condition that attacks the muscles in the body. Due to his illness he has had a tracheotomy and at one time we were told he would be unlikely to live into his 20s. People are now living into their 40s and 50s.
“This would be a life changer and allow Dylan to keep his independence and visit places he thought he would never have managed.”
Anyone who would like to donate to Dylan’s campaign can follow him on Facebook at No Limits, or make a contribution at www.gofundme.com/f/7uhjpy-wheelchair.
