Can you help to get George moving?

In September last year, George McIntosh, who has received treatment for a number of chronic, incurable and life-limiting conditions since 2014, woke up at his home in Kelso unable to stand or use his right leg.

The Kelso High School pupil has been in Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Children and Young People ever since.

Neurosurgeons and oncologists found that a cyst had developed above and below his spinal tumour causing pressure on the nerves to his legs and lower body.

George has had a further three large spinal surgeries to prevent additional damage to nerves further up his spine.

He has now endured 19 operations in total and has also suffered infections and allergic reactions to antibiotics.

The teen has been working so hard in intensive physiotherapy to try to stand and walk unaided but to date he is now a full-time wheelchair user and adjusting to a very different life.

Meanwhile, he has missed a huge amount of important schooling and life in general and needs personal and mobility equipment so he can live as independently as possible.

He currently uses an NHS loan wheelchair, which is cumbersome, heavy and energy sapping.

Although he's now medically fit to return home he cannot be discharged until changes are made to the family home which will aid his limited mobility.

The family has been told there was a two-year waiting list for those alterations to be carried out through the NHS.

Now a JustGiving page has been set up by his family in a bid to raise enough money to get George back home.

The fund has got off to a cracking start with £10,000 raised of a £20k target to pay for the installation of a stair-lift and alterations to a bathroom.

But further funding is required for other alterations needed to make his home environment comfortable.

George would also benefit greatly from a low energy wheelchair so that he can be more independent both in school and at home without being utterly exhausted and disheartened on a daily basis.

His mum Julie said: "George has been in hospital for six months now and he's medically fit to come home but the house isn't yet suitable.

"We are determined to make things happen for George. He's always been so positive and upbeat. He was Scottish swimming champion two years ago in disability swimming and now he wants to be a wheelchair Olympian and he has been great through the whole hospital stay but in the last month we've seen him being quite down because he's totally fed up. He wants normality and to be back with his friends and back home with his dog.

"Six months is a long time and he's had enough. For a while he was working really hard thinking he was going to walk again, now we have had to come to the realisation that we have to adapt everything and we will. He won't let it stop him doing anything he wants. He's already saying that he's going back to swimming training when he gets home and do wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

"We just wants to get him home and make sure he can live comfortably. That's what he deserves."

If you can help with the fund-raising go to www.justgiving.com/campaign/getgeorgemoving