Team Elsie - Mansfield 5 & 10k

Elsie is 5 years old and she has a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 2. This is a very rare and incurable neuromuscular condition that means, most notably, Elsie is unable to stand and walk.

SMA also has a huge impact on Elsie’s respiratory health. A simple cold can result in a hospital admission due to the weakness in her chest muscles resulting in a need for Oxygen. Elsie has to complete a daily routine which includes chest physio and a cough assistance machine. 

SMA is a genetically inherited condition that affects the motor neurone  signals in the spine reducing  the ability to communicate with the muscles in your body. 

Elsie is only 5 and she has had to deal with an awful lot of things in her short life so far. She has started to develop scoliosis( curved spine) as a result of being wheelchair bound and has to wear a spinal jacket and leg KAFO’s every day. Elsie is most likely to need spinal surgery before the age of 10. 

Despite all all of these challenges, Elsie attends a mainstream school and approaches life with determination and a cheeky smile. 

We we have completed many fundraising campaigns for Elsie in the past which have helped to fund things like;

A fully adapted home with a lift, wet room and bedroom hoist;
Mobile standing frame;
Powered wheelchair, AKA Snappy;
Postural seats and car seat;
Weekly physiotherapy sessions;
Specially adapted  vehicle to transport Elsie and her Powered Chair. 

We continue to fundraise for Elsie as her needs are constantly changing as she grows. We are hoping to adapt our back garden this year so Elsie can enjoy the summer and access and explore the outdoors with ease. In early 2020 we will need to swap our specially adapted vehicle for a Wheelchair accessible one due to the fact that Elsie is getting too heavy to transfer safely. Whilst the Universal mobility scheme provides great support with this we have to fund the cost of converting a standard vehicle to incorporate a ramp which costs thousands of pounds. 

Team Elsie has grown in to a large network of people over the years with a core group of amazing individuals who have been with us since 2015. 

This years Mansfield 5 and 10k which takes place on Sunday 15th September, is going to be a special one for us as Elsie herself will be taking part!! 

I (Chris- Elsie’s Dad) will be pushing Elsie round the 10k course and we have already set down the challenge with Charlotte ( Elsie’s Mum) that we are going to beat her. 

We already have over 10 people running for Team Elsie this year. The most important thing to note is that we are not all seasoned runners. Some of us have never run to the end of the street before, let alone 5 and 10k. 

We hope you can support us by either signing up to the run ( Contact Team Elsie Facebook) sharing the page or making a donation. 

If we reach our fundraising goal Elsie promises a very special finish to the race! 

Thank you for reading. See you at the finish line!! 

Chris, Charlotte and Team Elsie