Stars turning out to help young Summer

A YOUNG girl with Cerebral Palsy has been chosen as one of the good causes to benefit from a charity football match being held in Redditch this summer.

Soap stars from Waterloo Road, Eastenders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks and ex-footballers will join forces to take on Redditch United in a special clash at the Valley Stadium on Sunday (August 26).

Organisers have set a 50,000 fundraising target for the match which is expected to attract 5,000 fans. The money will be divided between Cancer Research UK and Wish Upon A Smile as well as five other good causes which have now been revealed.

Among them is Summer OGrady who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at eight-months-old which affects all four limbs. She had to undergo an operation to remove cataracts in both eyes but has been left with a squint and has to wear glasses permanently. Although she is two-years-old she has the mental age of a 12-month-old and has to have botox treatment to try and loosen muscles in her leg every six months as she cannot stand or walk on her own and needs physiotherapy.

She is also being investigated to see if she has a growth or genetic disorder as she weighs only 18lbs and is only 76cm tall and also suffers hearing loss.

Her family need money to fund a specially adapted pushchair, a pair of orthopaedic shoes, padding to secure Summers cot and Sensory Light Tubes among other things.

Organiser Aarron Byng said: I heard about Summers case and her story got to me. Of the charities we chose we wanted to make sure there was a direct benefit everyone could see and in Summers case she needs a specially adapted pushchair and it would be amazing if we could raise the money to get it for her.

Also benefiting from the match will be SADS UK, which is campaigning for defibrillators to be installed in schools across Redditch and the country, Primrose Hospice and Flying Start, a link-up between Comic Relief and British Airways which helps improve the lives of children across the UK and in some of the worlds poorest countries.

MooMoo Clubrooms is backing the event by hosting the soap stars the night before the match and they will also be staying at Southcrest Manor Hotel, another of the events sponsors.

Tickets cost 25 for a family of two children and two adults, 6.95 for children under-14 and 10 for adults. They are available by visiting http://www.redditchutdfc.co.uk or call 01527 67450 or Aarron Byng on 07920 202398.

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Stars turning out to help young Summer