Help Disneyland dreams come true for this little girl

Help a little girl from Rochdale with spina bifida to go to Disneyland

A fundraiser has been launched to help a little girl from Rochdale with spina bifida to go to Disneyland.

Leanne Fletcher's daughter Ellie-Mai, 18 months old, was born with a rare form of spina bifida known as myelomeningocele, in which the spinal cord and nerves develop outside of the body.

She also has a condition named hydrocephalus (an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain), a common result of myelomeningocele, leaving her paralysed from the waist down and unable to walk, and requiring full-time care.

Local resident and fundraiser Wesley Dowd and Emma Pedgrift, the Morrisons Community Champion for Rochdale, got in touch with Leanne to set up a community fundraiser via gofundme, that has so far raised £2,500 (at the time of publication) of the £4,000 needed to help Ellie-Mai. The supermarket has also installed collection buckets at its tills to contribute towards the trip.

Leanne said: “This will be the trip of a lifetime for me and my children and all of us as a family.”

She further added that she has been 'overwhelmed' by the financial support and kind messages she has received via gofundme and social media, saying that caring for Ellie-Mai and two other daughters has made her a better and stronger person.

Morrisons Community Champions work through CLIC Sargent and the Morrisons Foundation to raise money for important causes, such as childhood cancer, organising activities such as skydiving, baking and even flash mobs.

To donate to Ellie-Mai's cause, please visit:

• www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-ellie-mai-to-disneyland