Life for many teenagers can sometimes be a struggle.
It can often be a constant battle against anxiety and a lack of confidence.
But imagine the added exhaustion and difficulty of wheeling yourself everywhere.
The dirt on your hands, constant tiredness in your arms, and always having to rely on someone else to move around.
This is what 15-year-old Nadia Akesbi has dealt with on a daily basis. She was effectively having to do a “marathon” every day.
But the Grove Academy student — who was born with spina bifida — has now been given a lifeline, which has come in the form of an electric wheelchair.
Speaking to the Tele, Nadia said: “It’s the best Christmas present I could ever have.
“I’ve wanted one of these for ages, for about four or five years now. It’s everything I hoped for.
“I’m still getting used to it at the moment as it’s so different to a manual chair, but it’s great.
“My friends are really pleased for me, I have much more control, and it’s just very exciting.”
Spina bifida is a condition where the spine does not develop properly. Nadia also has hydrocephalus, which means she has excess fluid on the brain.
As a child, she was able to walk a little but has needed a wheelchair since she was three.
The youngster’s mum Tracey added: “As she got older it became harder to walk and she is now almost completely dependent on the wheelchair.”
An electric wheelchair costs about £3,000 to buy and Tracey jumped at the chance to acquire one when she saw a Facebook post offering the chair to anyone in the Dundee area who needed it.
Tracey added: “She’s always struggled with confidence and anxiety over her ability to be independent.
“She worries that she won’t be able to experience all the things her classmates will, including university. But this chair has already helped and it will only get better. When she’s out and about it’s very difficult and exhausting for her. She came home every day and was drained.
“Exercise is fine but she was doing a marathon each day.
“I’m not sure people appreciate how difficult that is for a teenager.
“The electric wheelchair has already made such a difference to her life. She’s finding it a lot easier and feels more independent as she doesn’t have to rely on others to get her about now.”
Charity boss Charlie Kean posted the offer for the chair online. Tracey wanted to acknowledge the people involved, adding: “I just want to say a big thank you to Charlie Kean and to the kind person who donated it.”