Hello my name is Harrison, I am 4 years old and I have entered the Mini Great Tees Run 2018 on Saturday 8 September. I am doing this to raise money for my friends Emil and also baby Joseph please see their stories below

Emil's Story

Emil is 4 years old and was born very premature at 31 weeks via an emergency c-section! We felt so blessed and fortunate that Emil was safe after such a traumatic birth. He then spent 5 weeks in Special Care and thankfully we were able to bring our little boy home.

At the age of 1, Emil was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, specifically bilateral spastic legs with some difficulties in his arms too. At that time our world totally fell apart and I remember that day very well. Emil’s type of Cerebral Palsy results in very high muscle tone, which means his leg muscles are incredibly stiff, he quite often struggles to control the movements himself and he is unable to stand or walk unaided. He requires a Kaye walker at present to get around. Day to day activities are completely compromised but Emil is an amazing, smiley little boy who is extremely determined and wants to be involved in everything with family, friends and the dog. We are continually amazed at his positivity and resilience!

There is a life-changing operation suitable for Emil around the age of 5, called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). This involves cutting the sensory nerves in the lower spine, in turn reducing the abnormal messages Emil currently receives from his sensory nerves. SDR is not currently funded by the NHS but is offered as a “self-funding” programme and the family are therefore responsible for the cost of the surgery and months to years of intensive physiotherapy post-operation. So, we now need to start to raise around £40,000 to make this happen. We intend to fund it ourselves as much as possible but we will need help to raise the rest.

Joseph's Story

Joseph is 2 years old , last Easter his family were giving the devastating news that he is profoundly disabled , he will never walk , never talk or never be able to hear , he also has very limited movements as well as many other health complications. His condition is so rare it does not have a name .

Joseph is most at ease and happy when in water as it allows him to move more Freeley ... all money raised will go towards Conductive Education, hydro therapy and horse therapy.

Your donation would mean Joseph would have a better chance and live a more fulfilling life.. thank you x