Daisy is the disabled daughter of Army veteran, Stephen (known as Stav), and his wife, Sally. Daisy now enjoys joining in with school, social and family outdoor activities, thanks to the ABF’s funding of £5,000 towards a specialist all-terrain wheelchair.

Sally and her husband, Stav, a former soldier, live in Stirling with their two daughters, Daisy (11), and Poppy (7), and son, Huxley (9), who has Down’s Syndrome.     

Stav joined the Army in 1990, and served with 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. He undertook operational tours in Northern Ireland and Iraq before leaving the Army in 2004. Stav says: “I really enjoyed my time in the Army, often operating in the role of forward reconnaissance for my platoon. I was also a passionate sports team player.”   

Stav and Sally’s eldest daughter, Daisy, has a rare chromosome disorder which means she has difficulty swallowing, had retinoblastoma (a rare type of eye cancer that mostly affects children under the age of five), and has developmental delays.  

Daisy is non-verbal, and at times uses a feeding tube. She is only able to walk a few steps. The family home has been adapted – with walls being moved, a stair lift fitted, and a ramp for access being installed – to meet their changing needs. This is particularly important as Daisy gets older and grows, when it will become more difficult for her parents to carry her.     

Sally says: “Having a child with a disability makes you change your whole perspective on life. Certainly, how we measure success is now entirely different. We didn’t know if Daisy would walk and be able to weight bear on her legs when she was tiny. She needs to be fed and changed regularly.     

“A big challenge has been childcare and getting about as a family.  Stav works away a lot of the time, so I am here with the three children. Thankfully, my mum lives nearby – otherwise it would be quite difficult to take Daisy out and about.”    

Daisy often had to stay at home with her grandmother while the family were enjoying the outdoors together, because of the limitations of her NHS wheelchair. Sally says: “Daisy’s NHS wheelchair is very basic and does not give her the opportunity to take part in the activities that the family has always enjoyed together.”  

Both parents were concerned that they could not afford an all-terrain wheelchair until an Army friend suggested they approach the Armed Forces charities. They met with a SSAFA caseworker to discuss financial assistance towards a new wheelchair.    

Stav says: “It would have been beyond our reach to fund the wheelchair ourselves. We were totally overjoyed when we heard that the Army Benevolent Fund would award a grant of £5,000 towards the cost of a specialist all-terrain wheelchair. This funding was matched by another charity, Support Our Paras.     

“Having the all-terrain wheelchair means that Daisy can come with us, when we go on walks in the hills and with our dog. It’s awesome and has made a big difference to be able to get all the children out together; it has been a game changer.”   

Sally says, “You can see Daisy is happy with her new chair; she loves being outside with people, and is even starting to try and manoeuvre the chair by herself. All the children are in Beavers and sometimes there is a Beavers a camp in the nearby forest. It has been brilliant that Daisy, with her new chair, can now take part in Beavers, and we can all attend weekly events.” 

The whole family is grateful for the difference the ABF’s grant has made to their lives, as Sally explains:   

“It has been lovely to see is the difference the all-terrain chair has made to the bond between Daisy and her younger sister, Poppy. They can go places and have fun together – so it’s not just about me and my husband pushing her around. Poppy just hops on the chair with Daisy, takes control, and zooms her about!  The other two can have a go as well, and they are proud of their sister.  Poppy wants to take Daisy to visit all her friends in her wheelchair, which is super – it’s lovely to see them whizzing about.    

“The funding support of the ABF has been amazing. The all-terrain wheelchair has enabled us to enjoy time together in the garden and the outdoors. Now we can have family time away from the home on our adventures. We all love the new chair – thank you.”