FAMILY of little Ted Brooks have thanked a running club for giving their fundraising bid to buy a special lightweight wheelchair a big push.

Ted, four, who suffers from cerebral palsy after being born at just 28 weeks and then suffering health complications, was finding life tough going in his heavy NHS wheelchair.

But now his life is about to be transformed after a fundraising campaign made it possible for them to order a chair costing £4,790 specially designed for his needs.

His mum Sally King from Yatesbury, near Calne, said: “Ted tried out a new chair like the one we are getting and he was whizzing about everywhere in it. His own one is now on order and he can’t wait for it to arrive.”

Among those who have helped the campaign is Devizes FIT running club led by Damion Godwin.

Mr Godwin said: “Ted needs a special wheelchair to make his life a little easier for when he starts school in September.

“Members and friends of Devizes FIT had to brave two storms and still raised an incredible amount of money.

“Devizes FIT is not just a running group, it’s about the community, raising money for charities, and local people that need our help and supports mental health.”

The first event on February 9 was affected by Storm Ciara which meant the run had to be cancelled but members will held a cake sale and raffle and raised £640.

Then on Sunday as Storm Dennis did its worst members held a 5k run and raised another £170.

Ms King said: “We are really grateful to Devizes Fit for supporting us. The new wheelchair will allow Ted to keep up with his twin brother Alex when they start at Bishops Cannings Primary School in September.”

At the moment Ted and his brother, who also suffers from a milder form of cerebral palsy, both go to Bishops Cannings Pre-School.

In the past Ted was also helped by Devizes Opportunity Centre and Ms King and her partner Neil Brooks said it had given them wonderful support.

Ms King said: “The twins were born 28 weeks early and when Ted was only a day old he had problems with his lungs and was starved of energy.

“He wasn’t officially diagnosed quadriplegia cerebral palsy until he was 11 months old but we knew long before that what was wrong.

“Alex has a much milder form of cerebral palsy which affects him a bit but not nowhere near as severely as Ted.”