We meet 13-year-old Mikey as Christmas draws nearer and our amazing Mirror charity appeal for Lifelites continues. He can play and unwind through virtual reality because his medical needs are so complex that he needs to have a resuscitation specialist with him 24 hours a day.
Mikey Strachan, age 13, enjoys swimming with dolphins, climbing trees with gorillas in the rainforest, and scoring the winning goal in a football game. The teenager spends his days exploring thanks to the power of virtual reality, but because he has a condition that no doctor has been able to diagnose, no one has been able to diagnose it.
His medical needs are so complex that Mikey must stay connected to a ventilator for all but a few hours a day. He’s unable to fly abroad, play out with friends or even go to school but the youngster’s world has now been transformed after he was introduced to Meta Quest 3 VR technology by the charity Lifelites. His mum, Chevonne Newlands, 43, from Fareham in Hampshire, said: “When he’s on the VR he’s a normal teenager, it’s opened up his world and for a while he can forget about his medical issues. It’s been life-changing.”
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Two weeks ago we launched our Mirror Christmas appeal to ‘Unwrap the Magic of Christmas’ for thousands of children and young people like Mikey. The campaign aims to raise vital funds for them to experience the wonder of life-changing technology. Lifelites currently reach 15,000 children with life-limiting conditions. The charity provides seriously ill and disabled children the chance to play, create and communicate, using the power of assistive and sensory technology.
This includes the PODS sensory tent, Eyegaze, a musical instrument that tracks eye movements and teaches children how to control a computer, iClick Switches, Magic Carpet, which projects moving images onto the floor (or any suitable surface) and allows them to interact with and control their surroundings, and more.
85, 000 children remain without access to Lifelites. Mirror readers can help thousands more receive this groundbreaking technology by making the most of the precious time they have with their families by donating to our appeal.
Chevonne and George Strachan, the children’s parents, tell Mikey’s story: “Minnie was struggling to breathe not long after his birth. It was devastating, Chevonne says, “We were told he would never be able to sit up or communicate with us.” They inserted a tube into his throat at the age of nine to help him breathe. Due to his condition, he must have a resuscitation specialist with him 24 hours per day because he could stop breathing at any time. He is also frequently on a ventilator to make sure his body has enough oxygen.
His tracheostomy tube has almost died, according to his surviving physician. The first one involved having to resuscitate him ourselves after he had just been discharged from the hospital. Because his bowels are ineffective, he receives a special kind of food via a central line and a stoma. Because he is exhausted, he uses a wheelchair and can only walk a short distance. We need to have an emergency bag and some oxygen if we leave. To clear his airway, he uses nebulizers.
Mikey’s condition is a mystery to everyone, so the family has searched the world for solutions. He has undergone numerous tests and investigative procedures, according to Chevonne, but doctors still don’t know what type of syndrome he has. He is currently a part of the Boston 100, 000 Gene Study, which is a global initiative. In order to see what happens, they have taken Mikey and ourselves and put it in rats and other species.
They claim he has a syndrome, but they are unsure of what it is; however, they claim it may be named after him. Even if we did receive a diagnosis, there won’t be a cure for Mikey, and that is where we are now. We only want him to have the best possible quality of life.
Mikey is constantly being observed, even when he is sleeping, which means the couple spends many sleepless nights turning in and out of bed three nights a week. The specially trained nurses cover the rest of the week.
Mikey can communicate by blowing raspberries, using the Meta Quest 3 VR headset, Makaton sign language, a language program that uses signs, symbols, and speech to help people who have learning or communication difficulties express themselves, and using the Makaton sign language. Despite his challenges, he is also a talented darts player who competes in a junior league.
Because he is the same cognitively as any 13-year-old, he attended a mainstream school, but because he needed two specially trained nurses with him and they were unavailable, he had to stop. Hevonne said, “That was difficult for him because he has so many friends, but he can still socialize with them through VR games.”
For almost eight years, Mikey and his family have been receiving support from West Sussex’s Chestnut Tree House. More than 300 families are treated annually at Sussex and South East Hampshire’s children’s hospice, which offers specialist end of life care and ongoing support to children and families who are aware that their relationships are uncertain.
Mikey first learned about Lifelites technology in this location. Chestnut Tree House has provided us with a lifeline, Mikey loves it there, and it has allowed us to take a vacation and unwind from Mikey’s care.
He was first introduced to the VR that Lifelites offered, and when he returned, he pleaded with us to purchase one for him as well. It frustrates him because he enjoys it and uses it to travel and play football with his friends. He is just a normal teen mentally, so it frustrates him.
He would be alone without the technology, the couple’s friends claim in support of the Mirror Christmas appeal. His world has been opened up. We smile when we hear him enjoying life and being so entertaining on the VR. Like any other 13-year-old boy, Mikey wants to get up, move around, and play football, according to Jack Northeast, Activities Team Leader at Chestnut Tree House. Sometimes, though, and he can simply put the VR headset on, he transforms into a gorilla climbing up a tree.
Every 13-year-old deserves the freedom he receives by flying around in new worlds and space. I’ve been incredibly happy to watch him experience that freedom.
Unwrap Christmas’s magic and revel in it
Donate today and unwrap the Magic of Christmas for seriously ill children. Donations from Mirror readers will be used to provide seriously ill children access to life-changing technology that will enable them to play, communicate and have fun in ways that would otherwise be impossible.
- Online donation is HERE.
- Text MIRROR to 70085 to give £10. Text MIRRORNOINFO to make a donation without getting any further information. You’ll choose to receive more Lifelites communications in addition to the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
- Send checks made payable to Lifelites, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ
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Source: Mirror
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