A little girl from Braintree who suffers from a rare genetic disorder has been gifted £1,000 towards life-changing physiotherapy in Canada.
Rachel Fincham is fundraising for her daughter Sadie Chittock who suffers from a type of Leukodystrophy called Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), which usually occurs in baby boys.
The two-year-old cannot walk or crawl, and is unable to stand for much longer than a few seconds as she has no balance and couldn't even sit up until spring this year.
She also has epilepsy and has been getting seizures since March.
Mum Rachel does an hour of physio each day, as well as a session with a physiotherapist once a week and a trip to Stafford for a week of intensive physio every four months.
The 23-year-old said though Sadie's movement is limited, she has developed quite the personality and said: "She's so funny, such a little character and it's developing more as she gets older.
"She is a really happy child and her laugh is contagious - even when she cries it sounds like she's laughing.
"Sadie is starting to get frustrated with what she can and can't do though.
"The way it works is her brain's signals are getting mixed up and lost so when she tries to do something it doesn't always work as her brain can't get her body to move."
Rachel has been advised that as Sadie gets older, she will begin to deteriorate, which is why the young mum is desperate to advance the toddler's abilities as much as she can before it happens.
There is currently no cure for PMD and doctors have advised there won't be one in Sadie's lifetime.
Persimmon Homes has chosen Sadie as the recipient of their Community Champions programme, which donates £1,000 towards two causes each month.
This cash will go towards getting her more advanced therapy in Canada, as most specialists in PMD are based in the Americas.
Rachel estimates the trip will cost at least £5,000 and hopes to be able to go some time in June next year.
She has been hosting car boot sales since pandemic restrictions first eased in spring and recently held an online raffle with prizes generously donated for free to help Sadie's cause.
To donate, head to Sadie's Just Giving page here.
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