A DISABLED Teesdale youngster is one step closer to getting the kit he needs to be more mobile thanks to the generous efforts of a runner.
Kayleigh Bell, from Cockfield, raised £300 after completing the Great North Run in two hours and 37 minutes last month. Ms Bell, who is a team leader at the village Co-op store, decided to donate her sponsorship money, along with proceeds from a tombola at the shop, to help Teddy Berriman.
Six-year-old Teddy, who lives in Copley, was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder called spastic quadriplegia, a disabling form of spastic cerebral palsy, when he was just two years old.
The condition mainly affects his lower limbs meaning that he can’t walk, stand or sit unaided.
He needs round-the-clock care and must use a frame or wheelchair to move around. He also suffers from three different types of epilepsy, autism and is partially sighted.
Family and friends formed a Team Teddy campaign and have been rallying round to help raise £14,000 to cover the cost of an Innowalk. This pioneering motorised device for sitting, standing and moving is not available on the NHS.
Ms Bell, 28, said: “Teddy is local and the store has done a bit of fundraising for him. I think it is a really good cause.
“I have done a bit of running in the past but this was my first half marathon. It was really good.”
Teddy’s fund is part of the registered charity, Tree Of Hope. This is a fundraising charity which supports children’s healthcare needs.
Teddy’s mother, Nicola Short, thanked Ms Bell for her support.
She said: “It means a lot to us. We are really grateful and humbled that people think of us when they do things like this. We never ask for anything from anyone.”
To donate to Team Teddy visit http://www.treeofhope.org.uk/teddy-berriman.
