Local Football Legend gets one of our Portable Mobility Scooters

On Saturday our Managing Director, Mark Nicholls, was once again out delivering and one of these deliveries was one of our portable mobility scooters, an Air, to Norman Appleby.

Norman has been an extremely active part of local football, as a referee, in Hertfordshire for many years and, as a keen footballer, Mark has had the pleasure of being in many games refereed by Norman so it was a bitter sweet day.

To find out the Norman is suffering from motor neurone disease was a cruel blow, considering how active Norman has been throughout his life, and how much his boundless energy and passion for refereeing, and indeed all things football, has enriched the lives of so many.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets worse over time.

However, Mark was very happy to be delivering a Qsure Quingo Air, one of our portable mobility scooters, which will allow Norman to once again get out and about following his passion for all things footie related!

The best news of the day was however that the delivery could not have been timelier as, friends and family of Norman, had conspired to make the day even more special.

Having had his training on how to use, and get the most from one of these portable mobility scooters, Norman was off to the new Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium to watch the match with Watford.

The scooter made it easy for Norman to navigate such a large space allowing him to concentrate on the game rather than getting worn out just getting around.

To top it all off the 1-0 win by Spurs, and their subsequent rise to the top of the Premier League, made the avid Spurs fan’s day.

We hope that the Air mobility scooter we delivered continues to give Norman his independence back over the coming years and offer him the freedom to once again pursue his love of all things related to the beautiful game.

Motor Neurone Disease and You

Symptoms of motor neurone disease happen gradually and may not be obvious at first.

Early symptoms can include:

Weakness in your ankle or leg – you might trip, or find it harder to climb stairs

Slurred speech, which may develop into difficulty swallowing some foods

A weak grip – you might drop things, or find it hard to open jars or do up buttons

Muscle cramps and twitches

Weight loss – your arms or leg muscles may have become thinner over time

Difficulty stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations

If you need help or advice for living with MND you will find the MNDA website a valuable resource.