Chichester parents fundraising for suit to enable their son to walk

Corrina Gordon, 38, and her partner Steve Hulse, 35, from Chichester, have been looking for a way to help Rhys, 12. 

He was born prematurely at 26 weeks with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy and his parents were told he would never be able to walk. 

With dedicated support from Corrina and Steve, the impossible happened and Rhys began walking at three years old. 

Rhys learning to walk

However, during the early months of the Covid pandemic, Rhys suffered a fall which left him with a displaced knee cap. 

Due to several mis-diagnoses, his injury went untreated for nearly a year and he was left wheelchair bound. 

In February 2021, Rhys underwent major surgery on both his legs but it did not work as well as hoped and he was still unable to walk. 

Corrina said: “That’s when I started looking again for something that would give us a fighting chance in this uphill battle that we are now facing.

“By luck I came across the Mollii Suit and I watched the videos and read what people had said and it looked like what I had been hoping for.”

Rhys with his mum Corrina as a baby

The Mollii Suit consists of a pair of trousers, a jacket and a detachable control unit which sends electrical signals to the user via electrodes on the inside of the garment. 

It is an assistive device that people with muscle stiffness - spasticity - or other forms of motor disability can use in their home environment.

Corrina said: “We tested a Mollii Suit in May and it works amazingly. 

“It helped Rhys to stand taller and his arms and legs were not as tight any more, meaning stretching and moving was much easier.

“This meant we could spend more time doing things to help him without him getting as tired.”

Rhys using the Mollii Suit

A suit costs around £5,000 and Corrina and Steve are applying to a charity called Variety for funding, however they will not be able to get the whole amount covered.

They have now set up a Go Fund Me page to cover the remaining costs.

Corrina said: “I’m hoping I can find some of the full amount needed to allow us to get the suit for Rhys and get us back on track to help him find his feet again.

“I want him to have every opportunity in life.”

Rhys Hulse

She has always said that if there is any money left over from the fundraiser she would like to donate it back to the charity which will hopefully be helping to fund the suit, with any extra going to Rhys’s school, St Anthony’s Special School.

To donate to Rhys’ fundraiser visit: https://gofund.me/0dab1a28