Kind-hearted Kent developer matches money raised for Mollie’s Miracle…

A park developer in Kent has pledged to match money raised by a member of its team to support a little girl with a life changing condition. RoyaleLife, which has developments Reculver Court and Reculver Rise, in Herne Bay, will double the £2,510, raised by operations director, Emma Smith, who took on a ‘Mummy Marathon’ for four-year-old Mollie Lawson.

Mollie’s Miracles’ Mummy Marathon saw supporters walk 26.2 miles across July, with every penny raised going to Action for AT. The charity provides vital research to help find a cure for Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), the rare degenerative condition that Mollie was diagnosed with.

Affecting around just 180 children in the UK, those with AT struggle with balance, coordination, speech and fine motor skills. This progresses from the age of five, with children wheelchair-bound by ten.

Immune deficiency means that children like Mollie are more prone to infection, and unable to create antibodies after receiving general immunisations.

In addition to this, the respiratory system is also affected and often children with AT suffer with lung disease.

Another cruel aspect to this condition is its predisposition to cancers, and a high sensitivity to radiation, resulting in the inability to fight certain cancers.

However, despite the heartbreaking diagnosis, the families of children with AT refuse to give up hope.
Emma said: ‘When I first moved to Kent, Mollie’s mother, Emily, was one of the very first friends I made. To witness the strength and determination from both Mollie and Emily as they live with this complex condition is beyond inspirational. I just knew that I had to help in whatever way possible.
‘As the nation’s leading bungalow provider for the over 45s, community is at the heart of everything RoyaleLife does. So, when they discovered that I, alongside a number of Mollie’s Miracle supporters, took on the marathon challenge, they didn’t hesitate to offer. Their donation of £2,675 has enabled us to raise the final amount of an incredible £5,185.’

Emily, who runs a printing and office supplies company, in between caring for Mollie, said: ‘We first set up Mollie’s Miracle to help build awareness for AT. The disease is so rare that not many people are aware of it. However, for the families living with the condition, from the moment of diagnosis our lives are changed forever.

‘The disease comes with a number of challenges for the child, both emotionally and physically and the fear and heartbreak that comes as parents watching the inevitable changes is extremely difficult.
‘We are overwhelmed at the generosity of Emma and the team at RoyaleLife and cannot thank them for making such a huge difference towards funding high quality medical research to combat this condition.’

To donate to Emma Smith’s Mummy Marathon, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mummymarathonformollie

To learn more about RoyaleLife, please visit www.royalelife.com.