A DISABLED girl from Rhyl had a mobile patient hoist paid for and delivered by a charity based in the town to enable her to enjoy a holiday with her family.

Kilsey MacFarlane, 14, suffers from congenital myotonic dystrophy, a progressive condition affecting the strength of all of her muscles which she was born with.

Her respite accommodation in Telford closed down and with her family looking to take her away for a week, they needed a hoist, a device used to help move physically disabled individuals from one place or position to another.

After being made aware of her story, Rhyl organisation “Belief” paid £331 for a week’s hiring of the hoist, and also arranged for it delivered and picked up before and after their holiday in Cornwall.

Jayne, Kilsey’s grandmother, was full of gratitude for the charity’s kind gesture.

She said: “They were really good – they did everything for us and sorted it all out. It would have been a struggle without the hoist.

“You have two different mobile hoists – one for travelling, and a bigger one for in your house. I was struggling to find one for travelling, got in touch with Belief, and they sorted it all out.

“Belief didn’t bat an eyelid; they were absolutely fantastic.

“At home, she has a rise and fall (adjustable) bed and a ceiling hoist, but the accommodation (in Cornwall) was not for disabled people.

“I’d already booked it before the respite closed down, and I couldn’t change it. I wasn’t going to give up the holiday because I had other grandchildren going.

“I dove them all to Cornwall in a minibus – it took us 10 hours to get there!

“Kilsey doesn’t like to move about too much, but we did our best. There was a Tom Jones tribute act on one night; that was probably her highlight.

“I was willing to pay, but they said: ‘No – we’ll sort it out for you’. They hired it, and had it delivered and picked up. They’re a fantastic charity.”

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Steve Evans, founder of Belief, said the gesture was worthwhile to enable Kilsey and her family to enjoy a week in Cornwall together.

He added: “It’s what we do – we just want to make a difference to people.

“If it means being able to take a disabled child on holiday, for the sake of a cost of a mobile hoist… we’ve got the money in our account, it’s there for those reasons, just to make a difference to people.

“We hope we’re doing that.”

For more on Belief, go to: www.facebook.com/Belief-872444362787322.