Cycling With a Helping Hand From Mum

When we first start to cycle, we know it can be a bit unnerving right? Thankfully for Wiktor who this week received his new trike with the help of Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme, his mom was on hand to offer him some encouragement. 13-year-old Wiktor has Hydrocephalus, vp-shunt, epilepsy and Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, all of which severely restricts a lot of unsupervised activities he is able to do on his own.

However, his new trike now means that Wiktor can independently cycle himself along the new greenways of Co Waterford and beyond with other family members.

As part of Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme, supported by Minister Anne Rabbitte and The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, we ensure children and young adults with mobility issues are given equal access and opportunity to cycling so they too can be included in outdoor activities with their family and friends.

Since we shot this video of Wiktor on his new trike, his mother has be in touch to say he never wants to get off it at night and it has given him a new lease of life!

Here is a quick note we received from Wiktor’s mother telling us about his progress.

“Dear Variety Ireland

I just want to thank you and Minister Rabbitte for Wiktor’s new trike. This is simply amazing and although he was a bit nervous when he first started to cycle it, he has since taken to it like a duck to water and simply loves it. Wiktor suffers Hydrocephalus, vp-shunt, epilepsy and Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and is restricted in activities that many other children can enjoy. However, this new trike has really opened up so many opportunities for him and he wants to be out and about all the time. It means we can do things together as a family. One of the main benefits of his new trike is he is getting extra exercise which is helping to build and strengthen the muscle tone in his legs as well as putting him in better form. I genuinely cannot thank both Minister Rabbitte and Variety Ireland for running such an important cycle programme which gives families with children that have mobility issues access to funding for special trikes so their children can be included in cycling activities with their friends. Wiktor has many happy years ahead of him cycling thanks to you all. From the bottom of our hearts.

Thank you so much”

Agnieszka (Wiktor’s Mum)