The parents of a 21-year-old with a muscle wasting disease are desperately trying to raise £14,000 for a new wheelchair to give him some independence.

Daniel Stenning, from Thornton Heath, suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and has been wheelchair bound since the age of 10.

His mum Jackie, 48, said: “He copes pretty well but he cannot really do anything for himself, he can feed himself and go on the computer.

“He has an ordinary electric wheelchair he can get around in.

“We are an outgoing family, we often go on holiday in Cornwall and for walks in the forest but to get a wheelchair through that is just not possible.”

She recently found out about a special chair that would mean Daniel can join his family for swims in the sea or negotiate a forest floor.

Jackie, a mum-of-four, said: “If he had the wheelchair now he could get out and about, it is amazing, it even goes up steps. It would give him a huge amount of independence.

“A couple of weeks ago I organised a company to come down and let him try out the wheelchair and he loved it.”

But the price of some independence for Daniel is a whopping £14,000, which his family cannot afford.

His devoted mum has been spending her weekends at car boot sales to try to raise some money for the chair and she is gathering goods from friends and family to auction off in an attempt to raise more money.

She said: “The basic wheelchair is about £8,500 and then you have to buy all the extras, we have been quoted between £12,000 and £14,000.

“Family and friends are doing what they can, in this financial climate, it is not easy for anybody. I have been at car boot sales every weekend and I have had friends and family donating stuff to me.

“So far we have managed to raise £2,000. We are desperate to get this wheelchair for him and would welcome any help with open arms.”

If you can help Daniel or his family contact the Croydon Guardian on 020 8330 9559.