A ONE-year-old born with a muscle-wasting condition has been given a major helping by a Blackburn firm.

Isaac Wood, from Darwen, was born with a form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which threatens to limit his development and movement.

The signals from his brain to his muscles are severely impaired, though he is undergoing a groundbreaking treatment programme to combat the condition.

Ever since he was three weeks old parents Kerry and Kieran have watched as a pioneering new drug allows little Isaac to sit up and have some movement in his arms.

The youngster has been chosen as the first recipient for assistance from the newly-launched Forbes Foundation, established by the Northgate legal practice.

A £6,000 grant from the fledgling foundation will help to pay for a wheelchair for Isaac, to aid his mobility in later life.

Mum Kerry said: “I’d like to say a massive thank-you to the Forbes Foundation and everyone at Forbes for everything they have done.

“It is going to have a massive impact on Isaac’s life and all the time and effort people have put in is just so overwhelming.”

Before now, the family has been provided with a supported seat and walking aid, so his bones can develop, as well as a bath seat.

But he does not qualify for other wider day-to-day support, such as a wheelchair might provide.

His plight has already spurred on family and friends, with Gary McHugh running the Manchester Half Marathon to raise £2,720 for SMA research.

Kerry has also been campaigning to persuade people to undergo testing for SMA, as an estimated one in 40 people are carriers, and if both partners are afflicted, the chances of having a child with SMA increase by 25 per cent.

Oliver Burton, chief executive at Forbes, added: “When we heard about little Isaac and the amazing progress he is making we wanted to do something to help to support him and his amazing family.

“This is exactly why we set up the foundation – to make a difference to people’s lives – and we are always looking for ideas to raise funds in order to help fulfil that goal.

“The foundation started with the will to make a difference and it has been embraced by the amazing team of people we have here at Forbes.”

He said that the foundation would be looking to provide support for children battling ill health, disability or financial hardship across England and Wales, but especially in the north, where it now has 10 offices.