Truck trip just the gears for Josh on his birthday

Josh checks out the view from the driver’s seat.

Waipukurau teenager Josh Lammas got an extra surprise last week when he celebrated his 19th birthday.

Josh has cerebral palsy and scoliosis, and suffers from seizures. He usually gets around in a wheelchair but for half an hour in the weekend he swapped his chair for a big rig and toured around his hometown in style.

Josh loves trucks and V8s, and while he has poor eyesight he enjoys the sound of the engines and the experience of travelling in them.

Josh Lammas, pictured with his cousin Devika Marsh, gets a “lift” from supporter Marcus Hemi to help him get from his wheelchair to the seat of a Stephenson Transport truck for a birthday drive.

With his birthday coming up, Josh’s caregiver Sue Hemi approached local trucking company Stephenson Transport, and owner Bruce Stephenson was more than happy to provide a truck, and driver Matthew Bicknell, to give the teen a birthday to remember - including a beanie and a cap as a memento of the ride.

Josh is due for surgery in the next few weeks to correct scoliosis in his spine, and his caregivers and supporters say they were delighted he was able to have his truck trip as something to cheer him along as he faces an operation and potentially a long recovery.