A YOUNGSTER with a rare genetic disorder will find some relief from his condition thanks to a £1,000 donation from a charitable organisation.
James Taylor-Hall, aged four, suffers from Fragile X Syndrome, which has left him with severe learning difficulties.
The disease means James also suffers from hyperactivity, and a lack of control over his limbs - which are hyper extensible or "double jointed" - means he is in constant danger of hurting himself.
James' father, Carl, appealed to several charities in the area to help with funding for a special padded sensory room, which will allow James to play in complete safety at his home, in Harley Bakewell, Warndon Villages.
Mr Taylor-Hall and his wife April were "over the moon" when Worcester Round Table said they would give the family £1,000 towards the room, known as a "safe space" area.
Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade has also helped out, with a charity car wash on Saturday, November 1, which raised £400.
"James has no danger sense," said Mr Taylor-Hall, aged 34, a quality engineer with Worcester Bosch.
"He keeps banging into things. He appears to be double jointed as well, so his arms and legs are all over the place. My wife and I always have to be half a step behind him. There's a real risk of him hurting himself by falling."
The "safe space" area, which costs £2,600, is a "room within a room", with Perspex on one side so James is not excluded from family life with his parents and three older sisters, aged six, 14 and 17.
Special sensory aids, such as fibre optic strands, bubble tubes, textured materials and music, will also help James become used to outside stimuli, which at the moment are a problem due to hyper sensitivity caused by the disease. He also has a short attention span and has no speech.
"So far we've managed to prevent James from injuring himself," said Mr Taylor-Hall, adding his son received specialist care at Rose Hill school, in Warndon, and also at Leapfrog Day Nursery, Warndon Villages.
"But it's exhausting caring for James. Hopefully, the safe space area will be installed by the New Year and James will then be able to play in complete safety."
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