AN 11-year-old local girl who is severely disabled will be in the spotlight at the Vestacare Stadium on Sunday as Oldham Rugby League Club tries to raise profile and money for her and her family.
Since she was three, when her Mum and Dad, Sam and Aaron, were told to expect the worst, the family has been on a journey of “sheer hell”.
As a 3-year-old, she suffered several strokes and endured multiple operations.
With heart and brain problems, Tehyah was put into an induced coma on life support and her parents were told she had only 12 hours to live.
Eight years later she is still here, happy, smiling, but needing total 24-hour care and all manner of aids and special equipment costing thousands of pounds.
Among several other disabilities, she suffers from a condition called GACI (General Arterial Calcification in Infancy); is paralysed from the neck down; and is fed through a tube.
Said Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton:
“Mum and Dad need financial help to make Tehyah’s life a little bit more bearable and it’s a privilege to be in a position in which the club and its supporters might be able to do something.
“We’ll have a bucket collection at the Keighley game and Tehyah and her family will present the match ball to the referee before kick-off. This will raise their profile and draw attention to their situation.
“This sort of story shows how vulnerable we all are, but also how lucky most of us are.”
As well as everyday items, Tehyah needs specialist equipment to improve her quality of life, such as a new wheelchair, a special bed and a mobility vehicle.
She has had her wheelchair for several years and it is no longer adequate. The same applies to her specially-adapted bed.
A JustGiving link is:
Donate to Trials for Tehyah. Enabling a special little girl to have a better quality of life with equipment she desperately needs xx
