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On Saturday 28 May 2011, five members of the Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service Fire Investigation Team will be attempting the 'Three Peaks' Challenge.  Su Whitlock, Steve Quinn, Graham Howlett, Andy Earl and Mark Wittcomb will attempt to climb the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales.  The challenge involves scaling Ben Nevis (4409 ft), Scafell Pike (3209 ft) and Snowdon (3560 ft),  all within 24 hours!  Our Support Team (Elaine Snow, Robin Furniss and Carlton Kerr) will be driving us almost 500 miles between the mountains.

We are taking on this challenge to raise funds for the Daniel Findlay Appeal. 

Daniel and his family are raising money to pay for a pioneering Cerebral Palsy treatment only available in the US which could potentially enable him to walk independently for the first time.

Without this operation, the future for Daniel looks bleak, with a multitude of operations and botox injections expected to try and ease the rigidity of his muscles to try and make him more comfortable.

Mum, Sara, has spent several years researching the treatment which could dramtically improve her son's standard of life: “It is really heart wrenching to consider the prospect of operation after operation and endless stays in hospital for my little boy. When I read about this treatment and then discovered how successful it had been for other children, I knew it would save Daniel lots of pain and discomfort as he gets older and made an appointment to ask our specialist about it.”

The treatment is called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy and involves cutting some of the sensory nerve fibres that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord. The complicated procedure reduces spasticity and it becomes easier for patients to increase strength with therapy and exercise. Children who have received the treatment can often start types of exercise that were impossible before.

The operation is not currently available on the NHS and the Centre for Cerebral Palsy Spasticity in St Louis, Missouri are the World’s leading specialists.

Now Daniel is fundraising with his family to pay for the treatment at the St Louis Children’s Hospital but needs to raise £50,000 in just a few months.

Helping the Findlay family raise the money for the trip are national charity, Caudwell Children, who support families caring for sick and disabled children.

Charity CEO, Trudi Beswick, commented: “This type of operation has a proven track record of improving the lives of children with Cerebral Palsy and we are pleased to help try and raise the money they need. We need to raise a lot of money in a short period of time to give Daniel the independence he deserves, so I urge anyone who may be able to help to contact the Charity.”

Important note to donors: As long as Daniel Findlay requires the funds raised to pay for treatment in the United States, Caudwell Children will manage all payments of funds for the Findlay family. Should there come a time, for whatever reason, that Daniel no longer requires the funds raised for medical treatment and living expenses while in America then the monies raised will be used to provide similar donations to sick and disabled children living within the UK through the charity, Caudwell Children.

Anyone interested in helping the Daniel Findlay Appeal is asked to contact Caudwell Children on 01782 600114

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So please dig deep and donate now.