A Norwich mother has a new lease of life after a national charity bought a specialist buggy for her eight-year-old son who has complex needs.

Kelly Eastman received the piece of equipment worth £931 for her child Noah from Newlife the charity for disabled people.

Noah has a complex sensory processing disorder and hyper-mobile joints.

He tires easily and can become overwhelmed by the world around him – particularly by noises and people.

Ms Eastman said getting out and about was '100 times easier' in the new buggy, granted through the charity's equipment grants service.

She added: 'Noah loves going out, but you never know from one day to the next what sort of Noah you're going to get. Safety is a major concern because he has no awareness of danger to himself.

'We had been using a special needs pushchair for Noah, but he is the size of a 13-year-old and the buggy kept buckling.

'Last summer in particular was a nightmare – we spent a lot of time at our local Sainsbury's supermarket because they have special needs equipment there that we could use to walk round.'

Ms Eastman was put in touch with Newlife by her son's occupational therapist as local services could not help fund a buggy.

She added: 'Noah absolutely loves it. Having the equipment means we can walk into the city centre or go to the local park whenever we want to. It means we now get to do the things that most people take for granted.'

Newlife is the UK's largest charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness and has supported 156 under-19s in Norfolk with items totalling £182,186.

For more details about how Newlife supports families in the area, go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk/norfolk

The charity is working with a further six families in the county with equipment needs of £5,768.

If you think you can help, go to the Newlife website and donate.

Alternatively, contact the Newlife County Liaison Team on 01543 431444 or email local@newlifecharity.co.uk.

Are you fundraising for a special piece of equipment for your family? Email sophie.wyllie@archant.co.uk