Brandon family fundraise for £30,000 Innowalk machine

Dayna Fitzgerald, 16, of Brandon, lives with various conditions including mitochondrial disorder - complex 3 and Bjornstad syndrome.

Dayna, who attends Riverwalk School in Bury St Edmunds, is non-verbal, unable to walk and is tube-fed, dealing with gastroesophageal reflux and constipation. 

Dayna Fitzgerald as a young child (Image: Darren Fitzgerald) In the summer, she had the chance to trial an Innowalk machine, a piece of equipment that helps those unable to walk to feel the benefits of movement. 

Now, the family are trying to raise £28,447 to purchase their own machine so she can use it at home. 

Her father, Darren Fitzgerald, said: "The Innowalk is amazing - she loves movement and when she knew she was going on it she was rocking, which she does when she is happy. It was heart-breaking when it was taken away.

"She suffers with reflux and her bowel movements so walking on the Innowalk would be so good for her to improve that. It really helps, keeping her upright and moving, and with the pain she gets." 

The family hope to raise enough to buy Dayna her own Innowalk machine (Image: Darren Fitzgerald) Mr Fitzgerald said that he lost his son Cavan in 2020 to mitochondrial disease, leaving him determined to do all he can for Dayna. 

Of his daughter, he said: "She may not talk, but she is so, so sociable. She loves everybody and anybody and she is so happy." 

So far, the family have raised just over £800 via GoFundMe towards the machine. 

Mr Fitzgerald said: "Most of the people who have donated are ordinary people. It made me cry on Saturday night because I feel bad for asking but they have been so great.

"I would now like to appeal to businesses - if they could help to make small donations and also share our story and get it out there it would mean the world."

Mr Fitzgerald asks that anyone with any fundraising ideas or businesses who are happy to get involved could email him on darrenfit13@gmail.com.