He is a five-year-old boy from North Kessock who suffers from a rare condition that stops him from being able to carry out the simplest of tasks.
But Charlie Thomson’s life could now be made a little easier – with a little help from his friends.
His classmates at North Kessock Primary have managed to raise £500 by cleaning up buses at the city’s Stagecoach depot in Inverness.
The money will pay for specialist computer equipment which he can use at home to help with homework, for now and in the future.
Charlie was born with a rare and incurable condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC), which left him without any muscle around his shoulders, arms, wrists, hands and fingers.
Extra tissue has also formed around these joints making them fixed, meaning it is nearly impossible for Charlie to carry out normal day-to-day tasks.
The youngster is unable to bend his arms or grip objects with his hands, meaning that he struggles with basic functions like writing, eating and going to the toilet.
His mother Evie Knight, 24, said yesterday that his condition is so rare that they are unaware of anyone else north of Perth who has it.
Miss Knight and Charlie’s father, Ross Thomson, had to wait until their son was four until he could get an operation last January to have a muscle and nerve transplant – but this was unsuccessful.
Miss Knight sought a second opinion, however, and last month she met a professor in Leeds who is confident about performing a successful operation.
A special scan must first be completed to identify the most suitable nerves and muscles for transplant.
Miss Knight said: “If it’s successful he will be able to get 90 degree bend in his arms. If it was to work it would be life-changing, he would be able to hold a toothbrush and feed himself. As he gets older, it will be a bigger issue when it comes to getting changed and going to the toilet, as he needs his privacy.
“When we found out the operation was unsuccessful we were devastated as we had held our hopes for four years. As a young mum it was awful. I had to look so far afield for support and I have had no support for his condition.”
The primary one class from North Kessock Primary approached the bus company in the hope that they could help raise money to help their friend.
They then spent time learning about the buses before helping to clean a bus up so that it was ready to go back out on the road.
Miss Knight added: “We are totally overwhelmed by all the support, the response has been incredible.”