A father of a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy is ‘over the moon’ to be moving into their newly adapted home in five weeks, after nearly a two and a half year wait.

Thomas Brown was born prematurely with his sister Mia at 24 weeks and five days and also has hydrocephalus, epilepsy and cortical visual impairment.

The family’s ambition to adapt their home in Bromley Cross meant they were living in a house next door which was not suitable for Thomas’s need, with him being a wheelchair user with complex toileting needs.

The home adaption will allow for level access when Thomas is using his wheelchair to the cellar alongside Thomas’s wheelchair ramp and parking space for his wheelchair accessible vehicle, which will host his bedroom and wet room alongside the family kitchen dining room.

ALSO READ: Community rallies to help 'amazing young boy' 

The Bolton News:

Thomas’s dad Ian said: “We feel a bit numb because the process has gone on for so long and we didn’t know if it was going to happen.

“We can’t quite believe it is at this stage.

“Even though the house is alright it’s not suitable.

“And this is our home, and it has been two Christmases where we haven’t been at home, so we are looking forward to being back.

“We thought it might take six months, but it took two and a half years.”

Thomas’s wet room will have a hoist and a changing bed due to the extra support he needs with still being in nappies, as well as also having a wash dry toilet, with a button he can tap with his foot, to help him clean himself.

The Bolton News:

All of the changes have been designed to help Thomas as he grows into adulthood, and although many of the changes have been made, Ian says that following the impact of Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, supply chain issues, and the increase in the cost of materials, that they are in need of some extra funds for the outside.

Thomas will have a lift that gets his wheelchair to the back garden where his outside therapy equipment will be and so they need some funds to help create a wheelchair friendly path, a lawn, rendering of their extension and the garage, where Thomas's equipment such as his adapted trike and buggy needs to come down and be rebuilt, as it floods, causing all of his equipment to collect water.

He said: “The good news however is that thanks to lots of help from local people and businesses, by the end of April the internal work will be almost complete and so we plan to move back home on May 1.

“After 10 years, Thomas is getting very big and heavy so these adaptations will revolutionise our family life and allow us to look after him safely and with dignity as he blossoms into becoming a young man.

“We have had a lot of support and so many offers of help and donations, and I don’t know what we would have coped.

“My uncle John has also been very supportive, and he gave us a bottle of champagne to christen our home and we are looking forward to opening it.”

To help Thomas continue making the home more suitable click here (justgiving.com/fundraising/Thomasjohnbrown).

If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.