Aims to raise funds for disabled children.

A 17-year-old boy who has Cerebral Palsy and a heart condition, is to abseil over 30 metres down the façade of the Walsall Art Gallery, in order to raise the vital funds needed to provide specialist sports equipment to disabled children.

Texas Bishop, from Redditch in Worcestershire, wants to thank Staffordshire based charity Caudwell Children, for helping him to secure a specialist sports wheelchair that, he says, has changed his life for the better.

Texas will join up to 100 people at the Gallery, at 2:00pm on Saturday 4th October, to complete his sponsored challenge.

It was just over a year ago that Caudwell Children, who provide practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, helped Texas to secure a wheelchair that enabled him to play competitive Wheelchair Basketball . His mother, Heather, believes that the sports wheelchair has had a profound effect on Texas. She said: “When he first began to play Wheelchair Basketball he had to borrow a chair from the club. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite fit him and it could be quite painful and he often he had to sit out games.

“But now he plays for Bromsgrove Blades Hotshots at least once a week, and this has really improved his posture and developed his confidence and self-esteem. He realises the difference the chair has made in his life and that’s why he wants to help Caudwell Children so much.”

Although a little worried about the challenge Heather, a full-time carer to Texas, says she hasn’t tried to stop him completing the dizzying drop. As she explained: “He has a mind of his own and he simply wants to live life to the full. I can’t wrap him up in cotton wool and I know that he likes to prove that children in wheelchairs can do just as much as any child.”

Texas is excited about the challenge ahead although, originally, he wanted to do something even more extreme to thank the charity. As he explained: “I wanted to do a skydive but the heart specialist said ‘No’. The next best thing was the abseil so I decided to do that. There’s no chance of me being scared as I used to be in the Army Cadets so I love doing exciting stuff!”

Texas will be joined on his challenge by his elder sister Kelly (35) but he’s worried that she may not make it on time. As he explained: “She takes forever doing her make-up so I’ll no doubt be having to hurry her along!”

Texas hopes to raise over £1,000 for the charity and he will be cheered on by Heather and his elder sisters and brothers, Petana (38), Heidi (28), Keith (40) and Gary (31).

You can sponsor Texas by visiting his Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/texasskydive For more information on Caudwell Children visit: www.caudwellchildren.com