He was able to play with his brother Connor, 11, and Maisie, eight, in the water for the first time, instead ‘instead of feeling left out and different’, his mother said.Ĭerebral palsy is the name for a set of conditions affecting movement and co-ordination stemming from a problem with the brain that takes place before, during or soon after birth.

It was provided by BeachAbility, a local charity founded in 2012 by Sharon Gray who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and donated the first wheelchair.Īnd the youngster had the time of his life in the chair as the water came splashing in, with his beaming father holding it for support. The wheelchair, worth more than £3,200, comes with a headrest and harness to give support to those with conditions affecting their movement, including cerebral palsy.Īnd it has large wheels specially designed for sand, unlike regular chairs which can get stuck on the beach. Joey is also unable to walk, so is confined to a wheelchair.īut his parents, Tom and Helen, were able to take him out to the tide’s edge because of an off-road, water-resistant wheelchair that was available to hire for free. He usually doesn’t enjoy going to the seaside because he struggles with how the sand feels on his body - although he loves water.Ĭerebral palsy can cause hypersensitivity, which make certain textures, noises or crowded spaces feel overwhelming. Heartwarming footage shows Joey Leathwood, from Sheffield, giggling in the waves at Skegness Beach in Lincolnshire on Friday. A two-year-old boy with cerebral palsy has been able to go into the sea for the first time thanks to a specialised wheelchair.

Gave into the waves thist ime