The simple pleasures of laying your newborn to bed or pushing them in a pram may sometimes seem beyond a mum in a wheelchair, thwarted by obstacles such as clunky furniture and being in control of two sets of wheels.
But a retired engineer tinkering in his workshop in Melba has just made Mother’s Day – and every day – that little bit easier for Gilmore mum Francine Rowland-Mahmoud.
The 28-year-old has to use a wheelchair due to the lifelong effects of the rare genetic disorder Phenylketonuria (PKU), something checked for in newborns through the heel-prick test.
The PKU disorder affects the breakdown of protein in some foods and over the years, despite a low-protein diet, has affected Francine’s gait.