For 13-year-old Mikey Strachan, the simple joys of childhood – playing football with friends, climbing trees, or swimming with dolphins – were once impossible dreams. The teenager from Fareham, Hampshire, lives with a medical condition so exceptionally rare that it remains undiagnosed by doctors across the globe, and he is thought to be the only person in the world with it.
A Life of Constant Care and Medical Mystery
Mikey's needs are profoundly complex. He is connected to a ventilator for most of the day and relies on a tracheostomy tube to breathe. He requires someone trained in resuscitation with him 24 hours a day, as he could stop breathing at any moment. He receives special food via a central line, uses a wheelchair for longer distances, and his parents, Chevonne Newlands, 43, and George Strachan, 38, must carry oxygen and an emergency bag whenever they leave the house.
"Not long after Mikey was born, he was struggling to breathe," Chevonne recalls. "Doctors told us he’d never be able to sit up or communicate with us. It was devastating." Despite hundreds of tests and investigative surgeries, his syndrome remains a mystery. Mikey is now part of the 100,000 Gene Study in Boston, a global research effort that may one day see the condition named after him.
Virtual Reality Opens a Door to a New World
Confined to his home and unable to attend mainstream school regularly due to his care needs, Mikey's world was transformed when he was introduced to Meta Quest 3 virtual reality technology by the charity Lifelites at Chestnut Tree House children's hospice in Arundel, West Sussex.
Through the VR headset, Mikey can now score winning goals, explore rainforests with gorillas, and swim with dolphins. "When he’s on the VR he’s a normal teenager," says Chevonne. "It’s opened up his world and for a while he can forget about his medical issues. It’s been life-changing." Mikey, who communicates using Makaton sign language, is also a talented darts player and uses the technology to socialise with friends online.
The Mirror's Christmas Appeal: Unwrapping Magic Through Technology
The Daily Mirror's Christmas appeal, 'Unwrap the Magic of Christmas', aims to raise vital funds for Lifelites. The charity provides assistive and sensory technology to over 15,000 children with life-limiting conditions across the UK, but an estimated 85,000 still lack access.
This technology includes devices like the Soundbeam, which turns movement into music, and Eyegaze, which allows children to control a computer with their eyes. Jack Northeast, Activities Team Leader at Chestnut Tree House, observes: "It gives him a natural freedom that every 13-year-old deserves. Watching him have that freedom has been amazing."
Mikey's family wholeheartedly back the appeal. "Without the tech he’d be lonely," Chevonne states. The campaign offers Mirror readers the chance to donate and provide other seriously ill children with the same transformative opportunities to play, create, and communicate.
