A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy is in urgent need of a specialist stroller so he can go on a family holiday.

Mum Amina Amawi is appealing for someone to help her son Zayn to travel to Turkey tomorrow because the wheelchair he uses is not allowed on the flight.

The toddler, who is one of triplets, was born prematurely at 24 weeks, leaving him severely disabled, and he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy soon after he was born.

He, along with sisters Layla and Tara, defied the odds after doctors told their parents Amina and Maher that the babies were unlikely to live for more than a few hours or, if they did, they would have severe disabilities.

When Zayn suffered a bleed in his brain at just three-days-old, medics said he was so badly brain damaged he would never be able to walk and would probably be blind.

They recommended switching off his life support machine on several occasions, but Amina and Maher refused.

Now the family are trying to take a holiday, but have been told by holiday operator Thomas Cook that Zayn’s specialist wheelchair cannot go on the flight for legal reasons.

They would need to put the wheelchair into the hold, which would leave Amina and Maher having to hold up Zayn’s head for the whole flight. Amina is now on the last-minute hunt to find a special need stroller which will be allowed on the flight and can recline, offering him some support.

Amina said: ”We searched around the travel agents before booking to make sure that we could take the wheelchair on the flight.

“If the wheelchair goes into the holdall and Zayn will have to sit in the chair, which will mean either myself or my husband holding his head up for the whole flight.

“I know the wheelchair will get damaged in the holdall and we would have to take out specialist insurance, which costs £3,000, for the wheelchair.

“We are appealing to a company or an individual who has a specialist stroller that we can use for the week, which will be allowed on the flight. All we want to do is have a normal holiday together as a family. I don’t want a holiday from him, we want a holiday with him.”

After hearing the plight of the family today, Thomas Cook came to their aid offering a specialist chair for the flight and ensuring they had priority boarding at the airport. A spokesman said: “We are doing everything we can to make sure the family is looked after.”

The family still need a stroller for Zayn on the holiday, however. Anyone who can help should call the newsdesk on 01793 501794.