Portsmouth actress with cerebral palsy, 13, proves her disability doesn't hold her back in Channel 4 sporting event

Jevonne Parsons from Portsmouth made her television debut in 2018, starring in BBC drama MotherFatherSon alongside Richard Gere - but more recently she has been developing her sporting ability through At Home Superheroes..

The month-long challenge replaced the annual Superhero Tri – the UK’s only mass-participation sports series dedicated to people with disabilities – with participants invited to set a challenge distance and complete it from anywhere.

Highlights of the event will be shown on Channel 4 on Saturday, and 13-year-old Jevonne opted to take on a variety of activities which included her own home sports day, with school friends and neighbours invited round to enjoy the socially distanced challenge.

She also completed 63 bounces on her trampoline and took part in wheelchair walks around the park to her favourite songs.

Jevonne was born three months prematurely at St Mary’s Hospital in 2007, weighing just over one kilogram, and was diagnosed with Group B Streptococcal meningitis shortly after her discharge from hospital.

A few weeks before her first birthday, Jevonne developed epilepsy, and when she was two, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which affects all her limbs. She also has severe learning difficulties and requires a wheelchair both indoors and outdoors.

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Mum Sherry, 43, said: ‘When we were first told of Jevonne’s cerebral palsy, it was a big shock. However, she has gone to achieve so much and we are all so proud of her.

‘We decided to take part in At Home Superheroes as it is a great platform for disabled people to demonstrate and develop their sporting abilities. Jevonne is always looking for something new to do and challenge herself, and this was perfect.’

Jevonne and Sherry got involved with the event through sponsor Irwin Mitchell. Partner Justine Spencer said: ‘What they have been through is incredibly stressful and I have a lot of admiration for the way the family copes under such circumstances.

‘It’s heart-warming to see Jevonne’s family supporting her to achieve her dreams. We hope that Jevonne inspires others and proves that disability should not be a barrier to achieving your ambitions.’

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