12 years ago, our youngest daughter, Poppy (then aged 2), was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease. We had no idea what this was or what this meant and felt very lost in a world of uncertainty about what this would mean for her health, her future and us as a family.

At this point we had no support and had been told there was no treatment and no cure!

Poppy, now 14 years old, is impacted by an inability to walk or to sit unsupported, she suffers from extreme muscle tension in her arms and legs which makes her unable to do any basic daily activities. She can no longer eat orally, so is tube fed and is no longer able to communicate verbally, so relies on the use of eye pointing and facial expression. All of these challenges are due to faulty mitochondria. She fights a huge battle every single day but continues life with a big smile on her face and is a joy to everyone around her.

Team Poppy would love to raise even more for The Lily Foundation, so if youre considering a challenge of your own and would like to support this amazing charity, then wed love you to join Team Poppy, so please get in touch! Thank you for your support. James & Kat Kitto