Brave Fareham boy who cannot eat or speak to raise money for Make A Wish Foundation

Brave Mikey Strachan was just two weeks old when doctors realised he was unable to breathe or eat unaided.

Now nine years old his condition remains undiagnosed but he has a tracheostomy, uses a tube to eat and communicates via Makaton and text to speech systems. He also requires care 24 hours a day and uses a ventilator while sleeping.

Before the pandemic Mikey, who has two older sisters Skye and Mika, was a ‘popular’ boy who enjoyed school at Crofton Anne Dale Infant School, but after isolating for a year and having to carry on with online lessons due to staffing issues, he started to get lonely.

This changed when the Make A Wish Foundation gave Mikey a highly sought after Playstation 5 last Christmas, which Mikey uses to maintain a social life with his peers.

His mum and one of his carers, Chevonne Newlands, 39, said: ‘The Playstation really was a godsend.

‘He was originally asked to make a wish before the pandemic and he asked for a trip to Disneyland. Obviously with Covid that couldn’t happen so they gave him a list of other options.

‘The smile he had on his face was amazing when he opened it. The year had been so tough for him because we had to keep him inside the whole time and he was missing his friends.

‘Now he uses it as a way to talk to all of them, it’s made such a difference.’

In return generous Mikey is set to travel a five kilometre route in his wheelchair in aid of the Make A Wish Foundation.

Chevonne added: ‘The foundation has made such a difference to Mikey’s life.

‘He wants to raise money to make sure other children can benefit from them.’

It comes as Make A Wish has launched its light up the darkness campaign in order to support 60,000 children across the country – including 255 living with critical illnesses in Portsmouth.

The charity said it saw a 40 per cent reduction in income due to the pandemic.

To donate to Mikey’s cause visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chevonne-strachan.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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