<p>Inspired by two teachers from a Montessori pre-school, we the undersigned are taking on the challenge of cycling 20 miles from Worthing to Brighton (and back again) to raise funds to help a little boy from Worthing go to America for an operation to help him walk.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Claire Morgan and Tara Chislett-Fox from the New Montessori Pre-School used to teach a little boy called James O'Hagan, who has Cerebral Palsy. When James was just 8 weeks old he had a heart attack and died. Whilst the doctors were able to resuscitate James his parents were warned he would not live through the night.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>James of course did live and went on to surprise everyone he has come into contact with, including the teachers at his pre-school. When they heard there was a ground-breaking operation that could help James walk they immediately began planning how they could help with fundraising.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The operation in question will prevent messages from James' brain reaching his muscles. It is these messages which cause his legs to stiffen and make it so difficult to walk. Performed by the world's leading expert, the operation in Missouri has enabled hundreds of children with Cerebral Palsy walk independently&nbsp;- until recently, a fading dream for James and his parents who think that without the operation James will need full-time use of a wheelchair by the time he is a teenager.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The total cost of the operation and for James to receive 2 years of specialist physiotherapy when he returns from home from America is &pound;60,000. Family and friends have so far raised almost two thirds of the funds needed but the pressure is now on to try and reach the target by October as James is scheduled to have his operation on the 1st November.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So...a few weeks on and Claire and Tara have been joined by a group of people all wanting to help fundraise for James. Our chosen choice of challenge is a sponsored bike ride which will be no mean feat for those of us not used to physical exercise!!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you can please support us in this challenge you will be making a huge difference to the future of an extraordinary little boy who having beaten the odds to still be with us now has the opportunity to make even greater strides. So, please give what you can and help us get James to America by November.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Claire Morgan, Tara Chislett-Fox, Charlie Morgan, James Walden, Will Hutton, Rebecca Roake, Brian O'Hagan, Jason Huston, Heidi Malone, Julie Bevan</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; background: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;</span></strong></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; background: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Important note to donors:</span></strong><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> As long as James requires the funds raised to pay for treatment in the United States, Caudwell Children will manage all payments of funds for the family. Should there come a time, for whatever reason, that James 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.</span></span></span></span></p>