A severely disabled young Turkish boy has been given a fresh start in life following a chance meeting with a holidaying physiotherapist from South Tyneside District Hospital.

It was in Kudasaki back in May 2003 that senior physiotherapist Christine Burge, 52, first met cerebral palsy sufferer, 10-year-old Faik.

The boy was dragging himself along the floor of his father's quilt workshop, unable to move far on his own and at that time spending almost all of his time indoors.

Now just over one year later, Christine, of Orchard Terrace in Chester-le-Street, has made a return visit to Turkey and given Faik a wheelchair and a walking frame, enabling him to use his improved flexibility to get around on his own for the very first time.

She told The Journal: "I have been told that Faik has been out on his walking frame and that all the other kids came out to see him in the street. I am delighted that the equipment has proved useful for Faik and his family and I hope it enables him to lead a fuller life."

It was at that first meeting that Christine and her engineering manager husband Malcolm, 56, saw the boy's plight and Christine was able to cast her professional eye on Faik and immediately decide she could help. She explained: "Right away I knew his situation could be improved by some simple exercises and some basic equipment.

"At the time we were with some Turkish friends who knew Nimuk and Seving (Faik's parents), but we were coming to the end of a fortnight's holiday so we had to be quick. Equipment is difficult to come by so we used two broom shanks for sticks and moped breaks as stoppers on the end.

"Malcolm filed the sticks down and they enabled Faik to stand."

Working closely with Faik's parents, his two sisters and brother, Christine was able to instruct them in basic exercises and positioning techniques to help correct Faik's posture and general mobility.

When she returned home from their initial meeting, Christine could not forget about the boy or his family. She said: "They spent a third of their annual income on twice-yearly physiotherapy sessions, which took two hours each visit."

Christine began asking around hospital to see if there were any old pieces of equipment that she could take with her on her next trip to Turkey, and South Tyneside Hospital staff were happy to help. She explained: "We found a small adult wheelchair that had been condemned and an old walking frame that was 10 years old and no longer used by the hospital.

"I took both items with me when I returned to Turkey last month."

The wheelchair meant Faik's father no longer has to carry him over longer distances, while the frame has enabled the boy to leave the confines of his home and play with other children. Christine said: "Near the end of the year we hope to make another visit to Kudasaki and see how Faik is getting on."