Care home staff in Skegness use pedal power to help raise £60k for life-saving surgery for six-year-old

Mark Baumber singing to Mandy Meazza to keep her momentum up.

Syne Hills Care Home staff aim to clock up the 874 miles it would take to travel from Lands’ End to John O’Groats on a static bike loaned to them by Phoenix Fitness - and cheering them on are the residents..

They have been inspired by another little girl called Isla, who is also just six years old and has also been raising money for the appeal to help her classmate at the Richmond School, Reiko Woods.

Reiko suffered brain damage at birth caused by a lack of oxygen. This caused a condition called Periventricular Leukomalacia which has led to her having Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and Global Development Delay.

Pauline Poore and Audrey Jenney clocking up the miles while sitting in their chairs and encouraging Karen Burman to just keep peddling.

The muscles in her arms and legs are extremely tight and cause her to experience chronic pain every day.

She suffers a lot of pain and struggles to do basic things that we take for granted, like sleep through the night, stand, walk, or even crawl.

Her family desperately need the help to be able to give Reiko a chance in life by giving her a life changing operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy.

Having this operation would be followed by a minimum of 18 months intensive rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and use of specialist equipment is required.

Kielea Norman being coached on by Freda Sylvester.

Unfortunately, this treatment is not available to her through the NHS and therefore the family are trying to raise £60,000, which they cannot do without help.

The Syne Hills team ask that anyone making a donation to the Reikotastic – Just4Children appeal comment ‘SH’ and message the Syne Hills Facebook Page privately so they can monitor just how much everyone has donated.

"We just want to thank everyone for their kind donations already and ask that they keep on coming to help raise money for this beautiful girl," said activities co-ordinator Cheryl Curtis.