In March of this year we lost the beautiful Charlie Withers at just over 2 years old. She was diagnosed with Leigh Syndrome in June last year which is a rare genetic Mitochondrial Disease which becomes apparent in the first year of her life. She was an incredibly brave little girl and despite everything she went through, whenever I saw her she would always have a cheeky little grin.

Every twenty minutes a child is born who will develop Mitochondrial Disease by the age of 16. There is no cure for this disease which is for many, debilitating and life-limiting.

The Lily Foundation is an incredible charity which gives hope and support to families affected by mitochondrial disease and commits to finding a cure through funding research and raising awareness. Already
important steps have been made to make diagnosis faster, easier and less invasive to the patient, and some promising research into effective treatments is underway. The help and support they give to families is incredible and I hope that with your kind donations we can help support more people affected by the disease.

I am fundraising for the Lily Foundation because I never had the chance to get to know Charlie; because she never had the chance to go to school; because everyone deserves a chance in life.

Thank you for reading and supporting the Lily Foundation.