A DISABLED Minehead man has started an online fund-raising appeal to try to collect nearly £12,000 to replace the faulty electric wheelchair in which he is confined.

Forty-two-year-old Daniel Sully has athetoid cerebral palsy and needs 24-hour care and help to carry out daily personal tasks such as washing, eating, and drinking.

However, Mr Sully is determined to maintain as much independence as possible, including breeding Dexter cattle in a field he rents and showing at agricultural events such as Dunster Show.

He said: “I wish to keep being independent and able to socialise with people and close friends around my estate and everywhere.”

Wheelchair-bound Danial Sully with one of his cows.
Wheelchair-bound Danial Sully with one of his cows. ( )

The wheelchair he currently uses to go to his local shops, or to theatres and concerts to see favourite artists Ronan Keating and Boyzone, was also bought with a public appeal seven years ago.

But, Mr Sully said: “The wheelchair I am currently using is not working very well as it keeps breaking.

“People think these types of wheelchairs are funded by the Government, but they are not, as we have to fund them for ourselves with hard-earned money and they cost quite a lot.

“The people who design and make the parts have stopped making them now, so it is a lot harder as I cannot buy the type of parts I need to fix it, which is another reason to buy a new electric wheelchair.

“With a new wheelchair I would be able to look after my animals as much as possible. because it is quite difficult doing jobs around the field because half the time it does not function properly like it used to.

Daniel Sully tries out an electric wheelchair for which he is fund-raising online.
Daniel Sully tries out an electric wheelchair for which he is fund-raising online. ( )

“A year ago, my wheelchair had stopped working while I was showing my cows at Dunster Show, the local event I attend every year.”

Mr Sully has set a fund-raising target of £11,495 which he hopes to reach.

Last year, he unsuccessfully tried to raise £50,000 to buy the field in which he has kept his cattle and some chickens for the past 16 years.

Mr Sully said: “My dream is to have full ownership of it, as the people who own it want to sell and I cannot afford to lose the field as I have put all my time and hard work in it over the years.

“I have asked many people to help, but they refuse because of my disability, and I find it difficult to fund it by myself.

Minehead's Daniel Sully may be confined to a wheelchair but he still keeps cattle in a field he rents.
Minehead's Daniel Sully may be confined to a wheelchair but he still keeps cattle in a field he rents. ( )

“I have cattle and chickens in the field as they are happy and safe there.

“I find it exceedingly difficult to do many physical things, but when I am in the field I try my best to help around as much as possible.

“I like to spend as much time as I can up there because I enjoy spending time with my animals as they make me smile all the time.

“It is also very relaxing and calming to be up there as being with my animals they help me have a clear head and put me in a positive mood.”