Treadmill challenge for child with rare disease

A nursery held a fundraiser for a four-year-old girl with a rare degenerative brain disease.

Teraysa, from Christchurch, in Dorset, was diagnosed with Batten disease in December 2024 after having a number of seizures.

Staff members took part in the Three Peaks Challenge - in which people climb the highest mountains in England, Wales and Scotland - but on treadmills, to help pay for the equipment she needs.

Participant Sally Hobbs said: "It does cost a lot of money to meet her needs so the money that we raise will go towards things that the family do need."

Batten disease is an incurable illness likened to childhood dementia. It affects only about 40 children in the UK and is terminal.

It affects the nervous system, causing seizures, visual impairment and mobility loss.

The life expectancy for the condition is 10 to 12 years for most patients.

Mum Stacey said with Teraysa's condition worsening she wanted her remaining time to be memorable.

But she said having a child with Batten disease was "really hard".

"In the last seven months her core strength seems to be going," Stacey said.

"She is now in a feeding chair and she has to have a walking frame.

"She did have a gene replacement for one of her eyes, because with Batten disease you do go blind."

Dad Mike said the family and nursery wanted to build as many memories with Teraysa before it was too late.

"Things like taking her away, whether it's to Haven Holiday Parks or Paultons Park to go and see Peppa Pig World, or anything like that," he said.

"It's before her dementia sets in, and then she's not really going to know what's what, who's who, and everything else."

Sally, along with Jakki Spicer, completed the challenge on treadmills in the nursery over two days.

Sally said: "We can't obviously take the whole nursery to the three peaks, but we know the families climb mountains every single day.

"It's been a hard 24 hours for us, but we are very aware the family climb that mountain every single day of the week."