Football match in aid of girl's walking device

A charity football match has been organised to raise money for a specialised device which helps a girl with a rare brain condition to stand.

The free match, at Bristol Manor Farm in Shirehampton on Sunday, will feature former Bristol City and Bristol Rovers players and aims to fund a new Innowalk for 11-year-old Edith who has TB-CK Syndrome.

She is unable to stand or walk unaided and her family, from Pill, north Somerset, have been trying to raise £15,000 to pay for the equipment.

Her mother Kirsty said they have managed to raise more than £9,000 in the last year, after Edith's last device became too small for her.

"Its a vital bit of equipment," she said.

"It stands her up and uses a motor to rotate her legs kind of like a cross walker - it simulates exercise."

She said Edith has been using one of the devices since she was five and it has seen her have fewer respiratory illnesses.

Kirsty said Edith communicates using an eye gaze system "to tell us her basic needs".

"For a child who has no words she's hilarious and very bright. She's an absolute ray of light," she said.

Daz Sims who helped to organise the event said: "I hope we get to the target. It's going to be a great event. It's just a nice thing to bring the community together.

"This equipment will help her [Edith's] health and wellbeing. Her family have been struggling to get the funds."

Fellow organiser Marc Ford said he hopes it will be a "fantastic day for Edith and the family".

"I'd like to get all the support there we can to try and break the barriers on reaching the money we need to raise to get Edith this equipment," he said.

The charity match will kick-off at 11:30 GMT.

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