Huntingdonshire line dance group Bootscooterz donated £500 towards the purchase of a custom-made power wheelchair for a 12-year-old Ramsey boy who has been diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

In December, Joshua Haywood was a normal boy growing up and playing football. However, it was during a football game that Joshua broke his foot. After a few weeks, he seemed to have healed nicely.

However, by February, he started getting intense, continuous pain in his joints and from there followed countless trips to A&E, his GP and the Holly Ward paediatrics assessment unit at Hinchingbrooke Hospital as well as numerous visits by out-of-hours doctors.

In most cases, CRPS is triggered by an injury with the resulting pain much more severe and long-lasting than normal. There are no known cures for CRPS, with treatment being of a supportive nature and pain medication restricted for Joshua due to his young age.

To complicate matters, he is also being investigated for Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, rare inherited conditions which affects connective tissue, leading to loose, unstable joints which dislocate easily.

Joshua has already dislocated his shoulder and his wrist this year. Due to his condition, Joshua is confined to a standard wheelchair 95 per cent of the time and uses a walker on other occasions to support himself. When he does try to walk unaided, he regularly falls due to loss of support by his knees or his feet turning over.

In spite of his condition, Joshua is a true fighter. Mum Lizzy Batty said: "Despite all that is happening to him, Joshua continues to smile, laugh and joke through it all. But like any 12-year-old, he wants and needs his independence. Joshua started at Abbey College in Ramsey this month and wants to be able to go to school with his friends without his mum pushing him in a chair. A custom-made power wheelchair will go a long way to helping Joshua achieve this.

"We're also hoping to eventually obtain smart crutches, specialised knee braces and private physiotherapy, specifically for his condition."

Bootscooterz organiser Dawn Morgan said: "We're proud to support such a fine young man who has gone through so much."

In our eyes, Joshua is a hero and deserves all the help he can get."

If interested in helping Joshua, go to:

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/joshua039s-needs-independence

For further information on Bootscooterz, go to: www.zoo.co.uk/dubose/bootscooterz.