UPDATE

WE DID IT 10hrs 55mins. It was foggy start to finish it rained and i have some cracking blisters. We are only at 15% of our target so please donate. Even £1 will make a difference.

On June 2nd myself and 2 friend will challenge ourselves to walk/climb up the 3 yorkshire three peaks. The challenge is complete the 24 miles and 3 peaks in under 12 hours. Originally it was just a test of our abilities but people kept asking if i was doing it for charity so after a while, and a conversation with Eva where she asked if she could help her friend Leonie. So i have decided to fund raise on behalf of Leonie.

Leonie Hadley-Wilkinson was born 11/12 weeks premature. She is now 5 and half years old, an one of my Eva’ s best friend in school.

The other day Eva said to me “I wish we could help Leonie get her operation“ so this is when i decided to raise money to help leonie get a very important operation not funded on the nhs.

This is Leonies story told by her mum

When Leonie was born it was a traumatic delivery & it just went dreadfully wrong on that day ! Even though someone so beautiful & precious came into this world .

I could go on to tell you the story in the, what, whys and how's, but this is Leonie's story in how life isn't that easy for her and how far she has come already . Also how this S.D.R operation will help her in the long term as she grows .

Leonie spent a tad over 3 months in hospital after she was born, we gave her the nickname 'Chilli Bean' as she was so small! We knew something wasn't right but was told it was because of her prematurity. She wasn't sitting, rolling , crawling, eating properly or anything of the usual expectations from a growing baby.

Leonie’s first year check up came and we expressed our concerns again and was sent for a hip X-ray that same day. That came back all okay, next step was an MRI scan , which went wrong under anesthetic and she had to be revived twice ! But the results were conclusive, Leonie had Cerebral Palsy ( Spastic Quadriplegia palsy ) which affects all four limbs . The impact of just hearing that was immense !! , it still is . Leonie was also diagnosed with curveture of the spine a just over a year later .

Cerebral palsy arises from a brain injury sustained by a child, often before he or she is born although it may also occur during the newly-born (neo-natal) period !

Leonie is now called 'Diva Leonie' lol , She is a very determined little girl who loves school & has just started to read . She has & ( had ) the most marvellous One to Ones from starting at pre school then to primary . ( Emma , Debbie , Kellie & Tina ) Leonie sometimes gets frustrated because she cant do the same things as her peers at school BUT that doesnt faze her . Leonie uses her head to move around on the floor and thats an art she devised by herself , she shouts ‘ I‘m coming mummy ‘. She is an amazing , beautiful , hilarious , clever , comical, loveable , strong -willed & polite little girl who has you in stitches with the random things she says . She is to all of who know & love her an incredible little girl !

We have now seen a Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon at Queens Medical Center in Nottingham about a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (S.D.R) This is an neurosurgical procedure that selectively destroys problematic nerve roots in the spinal cord. It will help Leonie‘s limbs & will get them to move more freely and be less painful for Leonie as she has severe high tone especially in her legs & right arm .

The S.D.R operation is not guaranteed to make her walk as she can not walk with out her pacer or by holding her and that is minimal , BUT she tries too which is amazing in itself ! . But it will be beneficial in other ways which are a everday struggle for her .

Unfortunately the procedure is NOT funded by the NHS and neither is the intensive aftercare physio which is needed in her recovery and that can take up to 2 years ! So we have hit a brick wall in trying to get Leonie a better quality of life and a much less painful one!

So her whole family & the amount of people that care for her are asking for the public's help, with trying to raise the funds for this operation. ANY amount of money will be greatfully appreciated for the SDR operation for Leonie OR any advice or help with fund raising .

When shes older I would love to show her this and all the people that kindly helped her .

Thank YOU from all of us in taking time out to read this.

Vicky x