Clarkson pharmacy crowd funds for 4yo boy’s wheelchair

COMMUNITY support has helped a Clarkson pharmacy raise funds for a Greenwood boy’s wheelchair and ongoing medical needs.

Friendlies Clarkson owner Roger Van der Kroon and pharmacy assistant Linzi Shankland set up a crowd funding page to help Bec Ryan and her son Harlan Atkinson (4) after they came into the pharmacy.

Harlan has been diagnosed with epilepsy, type 1 diabetes and global developmental delay, as well as other medical conditions.

His mother had been going through $700 strollers every six months because all Harlan’s medical equipment, including a large oxygen pump, resus equipment, rescue medication and diabetes supplies, weighed about 40kg.

Mr Van der Kroon said most of the time Harlan came into the pharmacy he was asleep in his pram, barely able to be woken.

He said when the boy was awake, he was very unsteady on his feet, due to a mixture of seizure medication, seizure activity or blood sugar irregularity.

“In the past 12 months, Harlan has had almost 30 hospital admissions and yet the system states that he is not unwell enough to receive support or funding,” he said.

“With Bec a single mum of four and caring for Harlan full time, she has really struggled to afford a wheelchair.

“As a pharmacy, we have reached out to our community and established a crowd fund page to help with this purchase, which can be valued up to $10,000.”

To date they have raised enough funds to secure a second hand wheelchair and are now hoping to raise further funds for Harlan’s ongoing medical needs.

The pharmacy aims to help four cases a year and invited nominations from others in need.