Hemel Hempstead family in bid to raise £20,000 to help their six-year-old daughter walk

Emma Timofte, 6, has a rare genetic disorder Incotinentia Pigmenti which leaves her unable to walk, crawl or stand independently.

In spite of this, she is a happy little girl who loves to sing, playing with her friends and going to school.

Her parents Stefania, 36, and Narcis, 32, are desperately raising funds for a treatment in Greece scheduled for June 9 which should help reduce Emma’s stiffness and may even allow her to walk.

SPML (selective percutaneous myofascial lengthening) is a minimally-invasive procedure using tiny injections into the myelin sheath surrounding muscles 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.’

‘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 children’s charity Tree of Hope. 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.’

For more information or to donate to Emma’s fund, visit https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/emma-timofte/