Could you help raise £20,000 to help 6-year-old girl from Hemel Hempstead to walk

A family from Hemel Hempstead is asking the public for help to raise £20,000 needed for treatment in Greece for their daughter.

Emma Timofte, 6, is currenlty unable to walk, crawl or stand on her own due to her having a rare genetic disorder called Incotinentia Pigmenti.

Her nervous system is affected which means that Emma faces motor difficulties and development impairment.

The disorder, which is more common in females, affects the skin, hair, teeth, and the central nervous system.

It is an uncommon disorder with between 900 and 1,200 affected individuals reported in scientific literature.

Despite the daily challenges she faces, Emma’s family say she is a happy girl who loves to sing, play with her friends and go to school.

Her parents Stefania, 36, and Narcis, 32, are trying to raise the money needed for a minimally-invasive treatment in Greece scheduled for June 9.

This procedure would help to reduce Emma’s stiffness and may allow her to walk.

SPML (selective percutaneous myofascial lengthening) puts tiny injections into the nerves around Emma’s muscles that are currently affected by spasticity.

Stefania said: “Emma would dearly love to be able to move more independently, but at the moment any therapy she undergoes is severely limited in its effectiveness because she has such limited movement.”

She added: “We strongly believe this operation would make a huge difference to Emma’s quality of life. We don’t have long to raise the funds as the treatment is already scheduled – every penny counts and we would be extremely grateful for any donations!”

The family is supported by Tree of Hope, a children’s charity based in Kent that helps families fundraise. The charity helps families fundraise for children like Emma with healthcare needs and provides charity status to benefit from gift aid, corporate support whilst also providing donor reassurance.

Gill Gibb, Tree of Hope CEO said: “We are pleased to be supporting the Timofte family with their fundraising mission and wish them all the best.”

Anyone who wants to make a donation to Emma’s fund, can visit her fundraising page here.