Nine-year old, self-confessed book worm Lilian, adores reading and enjoys a good challenge almost as much! Last month, she had a wonderful idea to read her height in books, and to use this personal challenge to try and raise much-needed funds to help buy a power chair for her cousin.

Ollie - Lilian’s cousin - entered the world prematurely eleven years ago and was subsequently diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. In 2015, after a huge fundraising effort by family and friends, Ollie underwent specialist spinal surgery in America, which has greatly improved his quality of life. Ollie has since made incredible progress through regular intensive physiotherapy sessions - which have to be privately funded - and he attends a mainstream school with his siblings.

Like many pre-teen kids, Ollie is keen to develop his independence but his reliance on a wheelchair for mobility limits what he can do- and where he can go- by himself. Ollie has ‘test-driven’ a power chair that would, quite simply, open up the world to him in a new way, and provide opportunity to develop his independence like other children his age. Unfortunately, such equipment usually comes with a hefty price tag attached, and the power chair is no exception. This is where Lilian has decided she would like to help…

Having dreamt up this idea at the end of the Easter holidays, Lilian is giving herself until the end of the year to read a stack of books measuring her full 134cm height. Three weeks in and there is a small, four-high pile of books in the corner of her bedroom, and already a stack of stories on the bedside table that she is ready to devour!

Lilian has an ambitious target - she is hoping to be sponsored £10 for each centimetre of her height! - but whatever she manages, she will be happy because she is helping Ollie. We will endeavour to keep this page up to date with Lilian’s progress - perhaps a book review or two along the way - and if you wish to spur her on with a donation and a book suggestion, that would be most welcome!

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