Rye boy with spina bifida raises money for Hastings’ homeless with 100 laps of school corridors

Ten-year-old Haiden Debley-Turner a pupil at Rye Community Primary, underwent his first operation when he was just nine hours old.

Despite having much to contend with due to his birth defect, Haiden was determined to give to those less fortunate than himself. Inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, he decided to walk 100 laps of the corridors at his school while raising money for Hastings charity Warming Up The Homeless.

On Monday (May 17), he completed his final lap to the cheers of his classmates who lined the upper corridor as he finished.

He has so far raised £1,077.

Laura McDonald, Haiden’s support teacher, assistant special educational needs co-ordinator at Rye, said: “Haiden, inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, set himself this 100 lap challenge during the February lockdown as an added incentive for exercising with his walker, which takes a great deal of physical effort.

“Haiden knew at that point he wanted to raise money for the homeless but had not chosen a specific charity. When he was completing his early laps inside the warm school building, the snow was falling outside and he talked about homeless people he had seen in Hastings and how awful it must be for them in the winter. This made him choose local charity WUTH (Warming Up the Homeless).”

Karen Beeching, the main adult who works with Haiden in class and supporting his personal needs, added: “We at Rye Community Primary School are overwhelmed by Haiden’s perseverance and ever-cheery nature during this challenge; the children love to wave to him and will ask which number he is on as he walks the corridors. He really is an inspiration to us all.

Rye Primary’s headteacher, Kelly Martin, said: “We are so incredibly proud of Haiden. He has demonstrated great resilience and perseverance, two of our school values. It’s a pleasure to support him and watch his journey.

“And now we need your help to raise more funds, this time to enable Haiden to live more independently. Imagine the world of a ten-year old confined for much of his life in a wheelchair. He watches his friends play in the park and wants to join in. He could take a much more active role from his wheelchair if he could afford to have a powered unit (Emulse F55 Swing Away model) which fits on the front of it. This would enable him to cope with uneven surfaces and move around more easily and independently.

He is going to walk further laps of his school’s corridors on a specially adapted walking frame to raise funds. Please help him raise the £3,000 that he needs by giving as much as you can afford. Even small amounts will help. Be part of his journey and make a difference.”

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