Hi everyone. My name is Greta and I am 9 years old. I was diagnosed with a rare condition called Perthes disease when I was six years old, in year 1 at school. Perthes disease is caused by a spontaneous loss of blood flow to the hip so that the hip bone ‘dies’. It only affects 1 in 10,000 children. My Dad Tim had the same condition as a child so we are both Perthes warriors.

My journey started when I started limping and experiencing lots of pain whilst walking. Before that I was really sporty and I used to play football and do gymnastics so my life changed very quickly. An x-ray scan showed what was wrong and I was told I needed urgent hip surgery called a shelf procedure to stabilise my hip. I had the surgery and spent 6 weeks in a full body cast. I missed an entire half term of school and then needed to be non-weightbearing and needed to use a wheelchair for two years. I have made great progress on my recovery and after lots of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, I am able to do most physical activities again.

I now want to raise money to help the Perthes Kids Foundation UK who support children like me. They run annual camps for children with Perthes Disease, where kids come from all over the UK to spend a week together and take part in exciting activities and have a chance to feel normal for once. It’s the highlight of my year. This year will be my third annual summer camp. :)

The Perthes Kids Foundation really need funding to continue their amazing work and I am challenging myself to show that kids with Perthes can do pretty much anything by doing a sunset climb over the o2 in London on Sunday 1st June. I do still experience pain in my hip and I am a bit scared of heights so this will be a big challenge for me but I am also very excited. If anyone wants to sponsor me and raise money for an amazing cause, I would really appreciate it. Thank you. :)

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