THE parents of a Blackburn child with a rare genetic disorder have called on local people to help them raise funds to find a cure for the disease.

Mark Beniston and Claire Thorpe spent eight months anxiously waiting to find out why their one-year-old daughter, Alice, was so ill.

Eventually a geneticist at Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester, diagnosed the condition as Mucolipidosis, for which there is no treatment.

Most children afflicted with it die at an early age, and there are only two other known cases of the disease in Britain.

When Mark and Claire had got over the shock of the news and did some of their own research, they discovered the MPS society which fundraises to find cures for Mucolipidosis and similar genetic diseases.

The couple, of Dukes Brow, Blackburn, have vowed to do whatever they can to help the society and would like to hear from anybody in the town, or across East Lancashire, who would like to help. Mark said: "Children with Mucolipidosis, like Alice, only grow to be around three feet tall, they have severe learning difficulties and suffer from curvature of the spine and other bones.

"Alice has made it through her first twelve months but she has twice been in hospital at death's door with pneumonia.

"Both Claire and myself are learning disability nurses so she couldn't have a more ideal mother and father.

"But we want to get involved in helping raise funds to help find a cure."

A special national fundraising day takes place on October 9th called Jeans for Genes day in which workers are encouraged to attend work wearing jeans and donating a £1 to the charity for the privilege.

And Mark and Claire would like to hear from pubs, clubs, other organisations or individuals who may have other fundraising ideas.

The couple can be contacted on 01254 721502.

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