A DISABLED six-year-old girl who dreams of being a dressage Paralympian is hoping for generous donations to help her take part in the activities she loves.

Imogen Ashwell-Lewis from Caldicot is a talented horse rider, but her powered wheelchair means she is unable to get close to the animals she loves so much.

An appeal has been launched by Newlife, the Charity for Disabled Children, to raise £3,213 for a self propelling wheelchair that will allow Imogen access to a world of new opportunities.

In January 2015 Imogen became the first child in Wales to undergo pioneering treatment on the NHS for spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy which impacted her ability to walk.

Imogen’s mum Catherine Ashwell-Rice set up a campaign through the Tree of Hope charity aiming to raise the £40,000 needed for the selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery. The family reached the fundraising target, but were told days before the operation that it would be funded by the NHS.

While the surgery was successful in removing most of the spasticity in Imogen’s legs, the six-year-old still needs splints to walk for long distances and she suffers from fatigue as her recovery continues and she undergoes daily physiotherapy sessions.

Imogen’s condition affects both sides of her body – she struggles with her mobility so needs a wheelchair to get around and relies on adult support, but she refuses to let her disability hold her back.

A keen member of the Forest RDA (Riding for the Disabled) group, she has already won a first place rosette in a national horse riding competition, and also plays tennis and has a good group of friends that she loves spending time with.

Mum Catherine said: “Imogen has a powered chair which she uses when she is at school because she gets very tired. But it is quite high up so she feels very far away from people – she can’t be physically close to her friends. It’s very difficult for her to get around the house with it as well because it is so big – in the night when she gets up to go to the toilet, she has to crawl because there isn’t enough room for the chair.

“Before I had a disabled child I presumed that they would get everything they could possibly need – the reality could not be further from this. I didn’t believe it could be so bad – to have to battle for the basic equipment my daughter needs and to have to turn to charities for help.”

Imogen’s current powered chair, which she uses at school, is unsuitable for use on horse yards. Additionally, the size and weight of the chair means it can’t fit inside the family car with her and her siblings.

She was provided with a manual chair at the age of two – but Imogen has now considerably outgrown it and statutory services will not replace it. If she is in a situation where she absolutely cannot use her powered chair, Imogen’s mum will push her in a buggy that she has hugely outgrown and as a switched-on six-year-old, finds mortifyingly embarrassing.

Newlife has already supported seven children in Monmouthshire, providing equipment worth £7,798. Any funds raised above what is needed to help Imogen will be used to help another child in the county.

If you can help Imogen, go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk/monmouthshire, send an email to [email protected] or call 01543 462777.