A little girl with disabilities will soon have a “dream come true” after £11,000 was handed over anonymously to help create her a sensory room.
After hearing about the plight of little Millie-Mai Mann, eight, who cannot walk, talk or communicate after suffering brain damage at birth, fundraising force Fat Lads on Bikes made it their mission to help.
The “Fat Lads”, led by dad Neal Bullock, of Ingleby Barwick, have been fundraising with an aim of £20,000 to create a sensory room, wet rooms and garden for South Bank’s Millie, as well as providing her with a small bank account fund to update equipment as she needs it or improve her quality of life in other ways.
The lads had already raised around £4,000 with events, and had donations of £2,000 from the Finlay Cooper Fund and £3,000 from the Ellen Timney Foundation, but the latest donation took them to the target they had set.
A date has now been set for the work to begin - two months ahead of schedule - in June.
Neal, 41, said: “It came out of the blue. It came about through a third party who had previously worked with the Ellen Timney Foundation, but they wanted no recognition for it at all.
“Getting these donations from people who believe in what we are doing, it’s just brilliant.”
The Fat Lads on Bikes have teamed up with Teesside firm MB Decor to help bring the rooms into reality, as well as securing help from a number of other local builders, plasterers and other tradespeople, and with help from co-sponsor Brian Nunn of Erimus Web Creations.
Millie’s mum and full-time carer Aimee Mann, 32, said: “Our dream’s finally come true.
“When they got the donation we were just over the moon. Millie can’t really use ordinary toys so she’s bored all the time. This will make such a difference to her life.”
Aimee will be taking Millie and her siblings, James, 11, and 10-year-old Ebonie, away for the weekend while the work is carried out, while husband Ian, 43, will stay behind to assist with the work.
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