A HUSBAND and wife are asking for help to cover the cost of a new wheelchair for their severely autistic son so he can enjoy the outdoors again.

Ryan and Stacey Palmer, from Braintree, hope to raise £4,000 to pay for a new all-terrain chair for 18-year-old son Jason.

The Edith Borthwick student was born with genetic condition tuberous sclerosis which left him with severe autism and means he suffers seizures on a daily basis.

The teenager takes five different medications twice a day and is only able to take a few steps at a time.

He has to have at least one carer with him at all times of the day and night.

Stacey said: “Jason has a standard wheelchair fitted with a lap belt and chest strap to prevent him from falling out in the event of a seizure.

“When Jason was younger my husband and I used to take him places such as Hylands Park and Hatfield Forest, and we even took part in the Great Notley Park Run in his wheelchair.

“However, now Jason has grown into a young man it has become near impossible for us to access anywhere other than smoothly paved streets with his current wheelchair.

“An all-terrain wheelchair would mean we would be able to give this easier accessibility back to him and make the simplest of tasks such as popping to shops much enjoyable for Jason than it is now.”

An online donation page has been set up in a bid to raise the cash.

A fundraising event – dubbed “Jog 4 Jason” – will also be taking pace at Great Notley Country Park this weekend.

It will see runners take on a two-mile long jaunt around the park for a donation of £4.

The event begins at 11am this Saturday and entry fees can be paid through the JustGiving page.

To enter or donate, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jog4jason.