Wow OP, you sound nice, way to judge ' your friend' because he is a carer to his wife. As a severely disabled wife with a husband who is my full time carer, I really don't appreciate the idea that 1. As he doesn't 'work' he is a waster who is happily draining the government to fund their days/meals out and 2. That a wheelchair is just a luxury that you should have to save for. How would you feel OP, if you needed to find three thousand pounds for the pleasure of being able to walk, perhaps you can walk uncomfortably but only for a few steps then you would fall down. Unfortunately Joe blog down the street is convinced that if you want to walk, you should have to save every penny yourself. But wait, I can't get to work without being able to walk.....
Do you honestly think your friend has a less successful life? My husband had a fantastic job offshore (+£40,000 a year) and I was a primary school teacher prior to becoming severely disabled due to a neurological condition. My husband is often out taking our children out, but you dont see what he has to do at home as my carer. You don't see the catheter bag changes, the hoisting, the constant caring for me and our children (including our nine year old Autistic son, who is a full time job to care for on his own), you don't see him brushing my hair, teeth or washing me. You don't see how exhausted he is because despite having care seven days a week during the day, he still is there caring 24/7, day and night, he is my second carer when my paid carers are here and that means he needs to be here for me to be hoisted into my power wheelchair/ Sani chair/ bed. If my husband was paid for the job he does, day in, day out he would be on a lot more than he was on pre my illness.
I have an all singing, all dancing, reclining powered wheelchair, I am lucky that I meet the criteria to be given one through my local wheelchair services. However I know women with Multiple Sclerosis who only have their wheelchairs because their families fundraised for them.
Honestly, your friend sounds lonely, life as a carer is lonely. But you have done him a favour, just by dropping off his friends list. Your friend deserves better friends, who are happy to help fundraise for a wheelchair, that will improve both his quality of life and his wife's.
As for the 'from what I have seen, it's very mild cerebral palsy', please listen to yourself OP, do you put photos up on Facebook of the days you feel like shit because of the flu? How dare you assume to know how mild her medical condition is! YOU have no idea how your friends wife is affected. But I can assure you, if her illness was 'mild' she wouldn't need her husband to be her full time carer. She also wouldn't need a wheelchair.
I only wish I knew how to give a cookie as you deserve a basket full!