A fundraising drive has been launched to help pay for a little girl with a rare condition to visit a health specialist in the US.
Two years ago the parents of Jersey Hardisty were told their daughter had a duplicated chromosome — a very rare condition with only 14 people in the world known to have the same duplication at that time.
Doctors told Clare and Gavin Hardisty that three-year-old Jersey was unlikely to walk or talk, or recognise the difference between her parents and a stranger.
She would need to have her organs tested as some didn’t function properly, including her sight and hearing.
Clare said the the list of negative things connected to the condition seemed endless.
She added: “After a lot of tears, some very good friends and family kept me positive and after several months of going through the normal channels as to what was on offer for Jersey, we decided to look into alternative therapies.”
After speaking to people whose children had the same condition, they found that ABM neurodevelopment and Cuevas Medek therapy helped Jersey make huge progress in catching up with the ‘normal’ milestones in child development.
Clare said: “The last 18 months we have travelled a lot up and down the UK working with the few practitioners that offer these therapies and Jersey has responded so well to these.
“But we have now been offered and accepted a place to see a specialist over in America. She is the founder of one of these therapies; it is a great opportunity for Jersey to get the best programme and bring it back to work alongside what she is doing now.
“These therapies are not NHS recognised but they have proven to work with such a wide variety of people with rare conditions and this is why we can’t let this amazing programme for Jersey pass us by.”
The couple have appealed for help to raise £5,000 towards the £10,000 the trip will cost.
Clare is the steward at the Dalesman Club in Leyburn and on February 8 a race night will be held at the venue to raise money.
Clare added: “We put a target of £5,000 as I wasn’t sure what was realistic as to what people would donate.
“The whole trip is costing over £10,000 but obviously Jersey is our child and we don’t want anyone thinking we aren’t putting anything towards her therapy.
“Last year it cost us £10,000 to see those in the UK, and it’s not about the money as if it makes the tiniest difference to Jersey we will do it for her.
“It’s just we’ve had so many people asking to help so we thought if we just did this one event then people can get involved, as people that know Jersey genuinely care.”
The race night starts at 8pm. For more details click here.
Supports of the appeal can also donate online by clicking here.
Alternatively, money can be left at the Dalesman Club in Leyburn.
