POPPY'S CHALLENGE:

To walk half a marathon, 13 miles /21 kms, over two months. This to raise money for National Star, an extraordinary school/college placement dedicated to supporting disabled people to achieve their potential, whatever that may be. Even better: Poppy will benefit as she builds muscle and strength in her legs, keeping herself upwardly mobile.

WHY?

As most of you will already know, Poppy was born in 2001 with both severe learning and physical disabilities. It took until she was 17 to receive a diagnosis of a very rare genetic disorder, Malan Syndrome.

At the point when she was finally learning to walk with a walking frame, at around 4 years of age, her legs started to collapse. This was the start of a brutal 10 years of medical interventions. First splints on her legs proved ineffective. A programme of repeated botox injections followed, to try to trick the tendons into relaxing. This too failed. Next came soft tissue surgery, with the tibula being split across the foot to try and redress the balance. This was sadly unsuccessful. Finally the only answer, and her last hope, was bone reconstruction work (removing her ankles, and fusing her lower legs to her feet). This was hugely risky surgery, with a strong possibility it wouldn't work. From 2015, over two years, both legs were operated on. Poor Poppy was bed bound in full leg casts. It was all worthwhile - within a week of cast removal Poppy took her first steps in her new legs. Just two weeks later she walked into her consultant's office to his surprise and delight!

Poppy's walking is a staggering gait, requiring 1:1 support to keep her safe from hazards and from falling. Her determination to walk is extraordinary, evidenced by her single-mindedness to take those first steps post-cast removal. We have seen that she is most definitely happiest when she is independently mobile, being able to make her own choices on where she wants to be, and to therefore participate fully in her local environment.

When she turned 18 she left home to live in a residential college setting. We were so relieved to have secured a place for Poppy at National Star. Here she receives personalised, regular and dedicated attention from a myriad of amazing staff - ranging from personal tutors, carers, physiotherapists, speech language therapists, nurses, psychologists, music/drama therapists, and so on. Between them, and always in consultation with us, they have devised a detailed care plan, tailored to maximise her potential before she leaves the education system in the summer of 2025.

They too have recognised the importance of Poppy being upwardly mobile. With this mobility she is happier, more comfortable in her legs, and therefore more open to learning. We are so very grateful for their support.

This therefore seemed a most appropriate challenge for our Poppy. Here we have an opportunity to give something back while at the same time benefitting Poppy.

DONATING:

Thanks for taking the time to visit Poppy's JustGiving page, and for reading this far! We would be so grateful for any donation you feel able to offer to National Star.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to National Star. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

You can follow Poppy's progress on her public Strava profile - www.strava.com/athletes/littlepeapoppy

Thank you for your support - we are so incredibly grateful!

Poppy and her family