HIS disabled trike was his only means of independence and now that has been ripped away from Spina Bifida sufferer Mark Easton.Vandals stole his motorised trike that fits on to his wheelchair and then set fire to it destroying any chance of living his life the way he pleases.

HIS disabled trike was his only means of independence and now that has been ripped away from Spina Bifida sufferer Mark Easton.

Vandals stole his motorised trike that fits on to his wheelchair and then set fire to it destroying any chance of living his life the way he pleases.

The distraught 24-year-old now faces a four-month wait for a new customised trike, which costs around £5,000.

Spina Bifida is a fault in the spinal column where one or more vertebrae fail to form properly, leaving a gap which causes damage to the central nervous system.

Mark said he was extremely angry about the theft.

He said: "I was really gutted when I realised that it had gone.

"I can't go to the shops or go and see my family and friends.

"I used to do a bit of hospital radio but I can't go now unless there is someone around to give me a lift."

His furious mum Teresa De Roy Chennells has hit out at the yobs who stole the trike.

She said: "I just can't see what enjoyment or what they thought they had achieved by doing this.

"They are stealing someone's life.

"Perhaps they would like to meet him to see what it means to him."

The trike, parked under Mark's bedroom window went missing on Wednesday night, but he did not realise until the following morning that it had gone.

The family searched high and low for the trike, even driving for miles to see if they could spot it, but it was at a family celebration meal on Sunday that they found out it had been burned beyond all recognition.

Mrs De Roy Chennells of Bramford Road, Ipswich, said: "People had been on the look out for it and we heard when we were having the meal.

"That was the end of the evening for us, Mark was devastated."

She added that she would like to thank all those people who had been looking for the trike.

Anyone with information about the theft of the strike should call Pc Greg Fox at Ipswich police station on 01473 613500.

Fastfacts:

Spina Bifida is a fault in the spinal column where one or more vertebrae fail to form properly, leaving a gap which causes damage to the central nervous system.

There are three types of Spina Bifida, Mark suffers from the most serious type called Myelomeningocele.

A cyst develops on the back which contains tissue, cerebro-spinal fluid, nerves and part of the spinal cord.

The spinal cord is damaged or not properly developed and as a result there is always some paralysis and loss of sensation below the damaged region.

At present the cause of Spina Bifida is unknown – it is a defect which is present at birth and is only partially hereditary.

The risk of an adult with the condition having a child with a similar condition is approximately three per cent or one in 35.

Folic acid supplements can play a part in reducing the risk of Spina Bifida provided they are taken from at least one month before conception and then through to the end of the 12th week of pregnancy.

Information source: Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

WEBLINK: www.asbah.org