A DISABLED Runcorn schoolgirl urgently needs specialist walking equipment to help reduce pain in her hips.

Rebecca Penny has a complex condition including cerebral palsy, epilepsy and hydrocephalus.

The Chesnut Lodge pupil has outgrown her current walker.

Newlife, the disability charity for disabled children, has launched an appeal to raise £2,373 for a replacement to give her back her independence.

The eight-year-old lives with her grandparents David Sothern, 63, and his wife, Denise, 50.

Denise, from Hallwood Park, said: “The only way Rebecca can get around is by being pushed in a pram wheelchair or being carried.

“She is getting really heavy as she has had a few growth spurts.

“She watches other children playing and you can see the frustration in her face not understanding why she can’t join in.”

Specialists at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital have recommended Rebecca is kept mobile to prevent further problems developing.

Denise has three children, Amy, 19, Anthony, 24, and Ashley, 26, who is Rebecca’s mum.

Denise added: “Rebecca is such a joy. She is smiling all the time.

“We realise how lucky we are.

“A new walking frame is something she could use at home and at school to support muscle development, improve her head and trunk control and aid digestion.”

The family bought Rebecca’s first walking frame themselves and when she outgrew this, Newlife stepped in three years ago with a replacement.

Now she is too big for this walker, her family has returned it to be used by another child through the charity’s equipment recycling service.

“She loved the walker because she was able to join in with PE sessions,” said Denise.

“She has been without one now for almost a year. It would make a big difference in her life if she get around on her own.”

To donate visit newlifecharity.co.uk/cheshire.

Any money raised over what is needed for Rebecca will be used to provide specialist equipment for other disabled and terminally ill children in Cheshire.

The charity is currently workikng with 19 families with equipment needs totalling more than £42,000.