Two years ago one of my closest friend's daughter was diagnosed with Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS).  SMS is a rare genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 25,000 births. One of those special children, is the amazing Izzy. 

Children with SMS like Izzy suffer from a variety of  difficulties including chronic sleep disturbances and difficulty with communication, along with a variety of other, often complex, medical issues. There is no respite and every day is a battle to get Izzy the support she needs and deserves. 

In many ways Izzy, is lucky. Her amazing mum was a phenomenal special needs teacher and a specialist school before Izzy was diagonised, but now all her time is spent caring for her daughter.

Izzy is so loving and brings so much joy to the world, but that doesn't change how hard it is for her parents, or any parents of SMS, particularly when so little is known about it. 

I am hoping that by raising money for the SMS foundation, I will also be raising awareness and support for those affected too.