Gee Fai Wu, who is the Group Health and Fitness manager with The Academy Group, is running the Great North Run in aid of five-year-old Fraser Russell, who suffers from Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy.
The condition affects muscle control and movement which, for Fraser, means the tight muscle tone in his legs causes him problems with walking.
His family is trying to raise £60,000 to take him to America in March 2013, for life-changing surgery that will give him a better quality of life.
Fraser, who lives with his family in Bilton, Harrogate, has undergone many physiotherapy treatments, including using a walking frame, hydrotherapy and horse riding sessions.
The Bilton Grange pupil has had two rounds of Botox and an oral medication called Baclofen, which are muscle relaxants.
He also wears leg splints every day. However, whilst some of these therapies work, they are only temporary.
Gee said:
Running the Great North Run is always a huge challenge for anyone, but for Fraser, every small step he takes is an even greater one. This isn’t the first time for me, but it is the first time I’m running for Fraser.
His family need in the region of £60,000 to pay for this operation and I know that every mile I run will get Fraser one pound closer to finding his feet!
The life-changing operation Fraser’s family is fund raising for is called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy.
The procedure is carried out at St Louis Children’s Hospital, in Missouri USA. It is a neurosurgical technique used to treat spasticity (increased muscle tone) aiming to reduce spasticity, improve function and improve walking.
Anyone wishing to sponsor Gee can do so by visiting his Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/theacademyharrogate
