THE mother of a 10-year-old boy, whose rare muscle disorder means he relies totally on a wheelchair, is raising money to help give him 'the best life possible'.

Ioan Williams from Hakin requires a number of adaptations to be made to his home to allow independent living and to suit his needs.

The youngster has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) - a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.

DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact.

Until relatively recently, boys with DMD usually did not survive much beyond their teen years, but thanks to advances in care, life expectancy is increasing and survival into the early 30s is becoming more common.

"To say that its been a tough road for Ioan and our family would be an understatement, but my primary goal is to ensure that Ioan has the best life possible," said mum Rhiannon.

"Most people have a lifetime to action a ‘bucket list’, but Ioan doesn’t. So we have worked hard to get him as many enjoyable and interesting experiences he can and while he could enjoy them properly.

"Very sadly, we are now at the point of degeneration where Ioan has lost the use of his legs and we are having to use a wheelchair, hence the reason for this appeal.

"The chair we have is one provided and doesn’t really meet Ioan's needs.

"It's cumbersome and awkward as well as not being very ‘cool’ for a ten-year-old."

Rhiannon said her son was a 'usual ten-year-old boy' who loves to play Minecraft, watch YouTube videos and DVDs.

"I really want what time he has be as enjoyable and easy as possible," she said.

More than £1,000 has already been raised online to help Ioan, and Milford Haven Round Table members recently presented a cheque for £500 to boost this figure.

"Hopefully this donation will help towards making the necessary changes required to help him be more independent," said a Round Table spokesman.

The Maisie Moo Foundation has also donated £1,000 towards the appeal.

A darts competition and raffle took place at the Three Crowns recently, and a sponsored dog walk in aid of Ioan will also take place this Sunday, August 12, at 11am.

Forms available from Woofers in Charles Street, Milford Haven, at the car park near Foam cafe on Milford Marina.

All breeds and sizes welcome, and non-dog owners too.

To make a donation click here.