A boy with cerebral palsy who was inspired by Colonel Tom Moore to walk 100 times up the road with his walker by his tenth birthday today completed his final lap, and has raised over £50,000 for charity.
Ethan Beadrow, ten, from Manchester, who can’t stand unaided, appeared on Good Morning Britain alongside his mum Catherine and dad Ivan, where he was seen completing the challenge on the Manchester City football pitch.
The schoolboy hailed the World War II veteran, who raised over £30 million for the NHS by doing laps of his garden, as ‘amazing’ and told how happy he was to have smashed his target of raising £15,000 to help pay for the funerals of coronavirus victims.
Viewers were moved by the story, with one insisting Ethan is an ‘inspiration’ and insisted the story had ‘brought a tear to their eye’.
Ethan Beadrow (pictured), ten, from Manchester who was inspired by Colonel Tom Moore to walk 100 times up road with his walker by his tenth birthday today completed his final lap and has raised over £50,000 for charity
Ethan, who can’t stand unaided, appeared alongside his mum Catherine and dad Ivan (pictured) , where he was seen completing the challenge on the Manchester City football pitch
Ethan said: ‘It feels amazing to be honest. It is cool, I think Colonel Tom is amazing and I can’t believe he raised that much money for the NHS’.
He added: ‘It’s so people can pay for the funerals of people who have been victims of Covid-19’
Mum Catherine, who has three children with cerebral palsy, said: ‘Every little thing Ethan or any of the children do, it’s a massive milestone.
‘Ethan now taking his steps on crutches, we were told he would never be able to do that and he only started practicing two weeks ago’.
Viewers were moved by the story, with one insisting Ethan is an ‘inspiration’ and insisted the story had ‘brought a tear to their eye’
One wrote: ‘On @GMB just saw a little man raising money for those who have lost loved ones during #COVID19 Mr Ethan, you’re a little legend. Well done!’
Another said: ‘What a fab interview with Ethan. So inspirational and many tears down my face just as about to leave for work. I’ve already donated. Great birthday present for him as well being a Mascot.’
A third added: ‘Well Done Ethan. What a boy!! £52000+ raised to help pay for the funerals of coronavirus victims.’
Television presenter Lizzy Cundy also took to Twitter to show her appreciation, writing: ‘Let’s here it for Ethan !! He has now raised over 52k walking on his crutches !! That’s brought tears to my eyes ! Fantastic news!’
The schoolboy insisted the World War II veteran, who raised over £30 million for the NHS by doing laps of his garden, is ‘amazing’
He told host Piers Morgan (pictured) how happy he was to have smashed his target of raising £15,000 to help pay for the funerals of coronavirus victims
Ethan explained earlier this month how he was hoping to do 100 laps down the side of his house, before or on his 10th birthday – with his mum adding they’re 25 metres each.
And when Catherine was asked whether the challenge was because of Tom Moore, she continued: ‘It was just one day when we were doing schoolwork he just came out with it. He said, “Can we join his army? Can we join Captain Tom’s army?’
Ethan’s proud mother went on to say how her son was partly inspired by the World War 11 veteran’s walker.
‘Yes because he was in a walker, Ethan said, “Can I try?” We weren’t going to stop him. We said the more exercise he gets the better!’
She added: ‘Ethan can’t stand unaided, he has to have splints on his legs, and he can’t walk on his own. He uses his wheelchair most of the time, or he crawls around the house, being up on his feet is very difficult for him to manoeuvre.
Dad Ivan added: ‘He has collapsed a few times, but he just gets up again and carries on doing it.