A DISABLED five-year-old could be forced to have painful and costly hip surgery – unless the community can band together to fund a specialist sleep system.

Newlife, the Charity for Disabled Children, is calling on the community to help raise £800 for the equipment Evan Lang desperately needs to prevent his condition from worsening and so he can avoid having surgery.

Born at 29 weeks, Evan, from Chelmsford needed urgent lifesaving bowel surgery when he was just 10 days old.

Although he recovered and was discharged at three months, doctors told his parents he had significant brain damage and would need support throughout his life.

Now five years old, Evan has cerebral palsy that affects all his limbs.

He’s unable to walk or sit without help and although he has started to talk he requires round the clock support from his parents.

Evan also has hip dysplasia meaning his hips involuntarily dislocate if they’re not kept in the right position. During the day he has a specialist seating system which ensures his body and legs are kept in position at all times.

However every night his condition worsens because he doesn’t have a supportive sleep system, so he twists and turns his body risking speeding up the need for excruciating surgery on his hips.

Mum Joanne said: “We have had very little support from day one – we were told our son had brain damage and left to figure our way through things by ourselves.

“The last thing we want is for Evan to have to face yet more surgery – he has been through enough already.

“We are very lucky that we now have wonderful Occupational and Physical Therapists through Evan’s school and they helped us find out about the sleep system – but because this equipment isn’t funded by the statutory services they recommended we get in touch with Newlife.”

Anyone able to help Evan should urgently contact Newlife on 01543 431444, visit the website at www.newlife.support/HelpEvan or email local@newlifecharity.co.uk.