A HELPING hand has been given to a teenager left severely disabled in a road crash - by a family who have been through an almost identical ordeal.

Chris McBeth, 15, who recently returned home after more than a year and a half spent in a rehabilitation centre, desperately needs a standing frame to enable him to get out of his wheelchair.

The £4,500 equipment is vital to prevent bone problems but is not included in Chris' care package, prompting his friends and family to launch a fundraising drive.

Now the family of Southampton motorbike crash victim Wayne Howard have stepped in with a donation of £1,000 to set the appeal well on the way to its target.

Father of three Wayne, now 36, was left severely brain damaged following a near-fatal road accident.

His family later launched the Wayne Howard Trust to help brain injury victims reach their full potential.

Now the charity has presented its first donation to a local good cause - Chris.

A £1,000 cheque was handed over to the teenager and his dad Neil by Wayne, his partner Tracy Goodwin and mother Isobel Howard at Southampton's Rose Road centre.

Tracy, 38, of Porlock Road, Millbrook, said: "We read about Chris in the Daily Echo and really felt for him and his family, as we know how difficult it is to get this sort of equipment.

"Providing essential things like this is what the charity is all about, so we were more than happy to help.

"Like Wayne, Chris needs to be able to use his legs again so this standing machine is absolutely vital."

The frame will enable Chris to stand for hour-long periods.

His delighted mum, Claire McBeth, 34, said: "We would like to say a very big thank you. It is fantastic that there is something like this in Southampton specifically for people with brain injuries."

Claire said thanks also went to everyone else who had pledged donations, including Chris' old classmates at St George's Catholic School. Chris was left severely disabled after a car accident near his former home in Lordshill in May 2003.

The family is currently renting a property in West End while they wait for a house in Swaythling to be converted to meet Chris' needs.

To help Chris, call Claire on 07981 539618. For more information about the Wayne Howard Trust, visit www.thewaynehowardtrust.co.uk or telephone 023 8087 1696.