Harlie's Off Road Wheelchair

Help Harlie Explore the Great Outdoors

Hello!

Thanks for visiting my JustGiving page. My name is Harlie McFarlane, and I’m a 6-year-old girl living in South Ayrshire with my wonderful foster family. I love being out and about exploring the countryside, but due to my rare genetic condition, I cannot walk and rely on a wheelchair to get around.

A Little About Me

I was born prematurely and spent many months in Glasgow Hospital, undergoing an operation just a day after birth to correct issues with my digestive system. After I came home, I was very small and fragile and struggled to thrive. Eventually, I had to have a PEG (a tube into my tummy) so I could get the nutrients I need.

Things were tough, especially with my mummy having my baby brother, who has the same condition as me, and then the pandemic hit. Mum was so scared she couldn’t take us outside, even into the garden, for an entire year. This affected my immune system, and I had to return to Cross House Hospital, where I stayed for almost a year. The nurses were lovely, but it’s no place for a little girl.

When I came to live with Georgette, Justin, Charlotte, and Austin, my life started to change. I was still very small, but I’ve been catching up quickly, and now I’m growing stronger every day. I have access to more outdoor adventures now, and my favourite places are the forest, beaches, and wind farms. But recently, I’ve grown too heavy for the backpack my foster dad, Justin, used to carry me in, and I can’t access these places in my regular pushchair.

The Solution: An Off-Road Wheelchair

Justin was determined to find a way for me to continue exploring the outdoors. He believes I deserve the same adventures as any other 6-year-old. We’ve found the perfect solution—a lightweight off-road wheelchair, the K2, which has a carbon fibre seat and mountain bike wheels. This wheelchair is designed for little kids like me, with a special moulded seat and harness to keep me safe and comfortable while I explore.

However, this incredible wheelchair costs over £10,000, a sum that is far beyond what Justin and Georgette can afford. All my care team, including my mummy and daddy, know how much this wheelchair would improve my life and wellbeing, helping me experience more of the world around me.

We recently visited a wind farm, one of my favourite places, but I nearly rattled out of my pushchair, and it was difficult for Justin and Georgette to push me up hills and around the tracks. I want to be able to explore without these struggles, and this wheelchair will make that possible.

How You Can Help

I’m asking for your help to fund this wheelchair so I can continue my outdoor adventures. Your donation will help me get closer to exploring the countryside, wind farms, and beaches without limits. Every little bit counts, and I truly appreciate your support in making my dreams of exploring the great outdoors a reality.

Thank you for reading my story and considering helping me. I’m ready to get outside and explore more of this beautiful world!

With love,

Harlie x

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects. If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.