Harvey runs for joy at £30,000 gift of new legs

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

By Mary McConnell

A THREE-year-old boy who lost both of his legs to meningitis when he was a baby has been training with a Paralympic gold medalist after being given a pair of carbon-fibre running legs.

Harvey Parry, of Northern Avenue, Edmonton, spent the summer in the US where he was given, climbing feet and house slippers along with the running legs, worth a combined total of more than £30,000.

Readers of the Advertiser helped raise the money while some of the cash was donated by US charity, the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Just one week after he had started walking, Harvey contracted the potentially fatal meningitis. He was only 15 months old and although he survived the illness, doctors had to amputate both of his legs and part of his right hand. The prosthetic limbs provided by the NHS were too painful for Harvey to wear so his parents, Carol and Jonathan, set up a fund to help buy him state-of-the-art prosthetic legs only available in the US. Readers have helped raise nearly £60,000 during the past two years.

Last month the Parrys were in California where Harvey trained with Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a double-amputee swimmer who won a Paralympic gold medal in Beijing.

Carol said: “I still keep crying when I see Harvey with his new legs – it’s just overwhelming. They’ve given him the ability to do what the other kids do and he absolutely loves them. I thought the walking legs were brilliant but the running legs have changed his life. He can run in long grass, walk on pebbles, and climb up walls. I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all the readers who helped raise the money.”

The family need people to continue to donate money to Harvey’s fund. On Saturday the youngster will be showing off his new running legs at a fun run for Edmonton Rotary Club at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in Picketts Lock, Edmonton. Harvey aims to run 1km and Carol hopes readers will sponsor him.

Visit harveyparry-appealfund.com for more information.

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