A SINGLE Mum has launched a fundraising page to buy her disabled son a second-hand specially adapted trike for his birthday.

Eight-year-old Kai Porter suffered so badly from epilepsy as a baby that it caused long-term developmental problems and his mother, Sheila Holder, is desperate to see him play with other children.

Sheila, who lives with Kai and her three-year-old daughter Ellie Mai in Rishton, said: “He suffered really badly as a child and I nearly lost him a number of times.

“He always pulled through but he has a few problems now. He can’t really speak and depends on me for more or less everything.

“Although he can walk a little, he is very unsteady on his feet and needs a wheelchair most of the time.

“In the summer months, he spends so long staring out the window at other children playing on their bikes and I just want him to be able to go out and play with them and be, for want of a better word, ‘normal’.

“It is always shocking to me how many people in this day and age, stop and stare at us when we are out and about or even say things to me about how a boy his age should be able to walk.

“It’s just awful and I would much rather that people just asked me about Kai and what his problems are instead of treating us like that.

“It would mean the world to him and to me to see him enjoying the things that boys his age want to do because he’s wants to play like every other child.”

Kai, who will turn nine on June 23, attends White Ash special school in Oswaldtwistle and has gets great enjoyment from playing on the specially adapted tricycle they have in use there.

“He just loves being outside and he has so much fun playing on the bikes at school.” Sheila added.

“It’s quite upsetting that he doesn’t get to socialise much with other children on the estate and now his sister is that bit older, he loves watching her whizzing up and down the living room on her little trike.

Kai’s father has donated £150 toward the fund and Shelia is putting £200 in to the pot to help kick start the fundraising. Shelia has set up a just giving page to help them achieve their target of £900, the cost of a specially adapted second hand trike.

“It would cost a lot more for a brand new one but we would be more than happy with a second hand one.”

To make a donation and help Kai get his trike, visit www.justgiving.com/yimby/kaisters-trike .