Anna's blog is at http://annapenman.wordpress.com

Anna is our beautiful, gorgeous little girl.  She is a typical 4 years old - she loves Disney princesses, painting her toe nails and just about anything pink.

Anna was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3 in July 2011. It means that her muscles are very weak. She cannot walk and her arm movement is severely restricted. She needs help with absolutely everything, all day and through the night.  

Anna was also diagnosed with Leukaemia last December.  Nobody has ever had both conditions before, as far as we know, so there is no precedent for treatment. The life saving chemotherapy has had a devastating impact on the little strength she had left in her legs and we don’t know if or when it might return.

Anna is a bright, assertive and determined young lady. She is eager to explore the world, make friends and be the same as any other 4 year old. She doesn’t let SMA or leukaemia get in the way of anything she wants to do. She insists on trying everything and frequently can be heard shouting ‘I CAN DO IT ON MY OWN’.

Because limited mobility at this young  age can have such a damaging and restrictive effect on her learning and development, Anna being as mobile as possible  is essential.  Anna should have the same choices as any other toddler, as far as possible, and this is why we want to raise money for The Turbo Trust so we can buy  a snapdragon powered chair with height adjustment.

With this wheelchair, she can sit on the carpet for story time, ‘run’ outside with her friends at playtime, get into the toy cupboards at home and even give her big brother Nathan a ride on the back! It is as close as we can get to giving her back the use of her legs.

We need your help. We have to raise £21,477. And we want to do it as soon as possible.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.ea

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Donations made to the charity Turbo Trust will not go directly to Anna, but may also benefit others who require powered mobility.  However, the more money raised with Anna in mind, the more funds the trustees have to help Anna and others like her. If you wish to donate directly to benefit Anna then please contact her family.

Please note: Gift Aid cannot be claimed if the donor requires the donation to benefit a named individual so please bear this in mind when making your donation.