A Cambuslang woman is set to dance the night away to raise thousands in a fundraiser for a local young girl with a rare condition.
Jules Spence will compete in Step Up For Charity, a Strictly Come Dancing-esq competition where each competitor chooses a cause to fundraise for.
The 45-year-old decided to represent Amy and Friends, a group formed to facilitate the support of children and families suffering from Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) after they helped support Elsie How the daughter of her friend.
Jules said: “It was really important to me to support someone local and someone like Elsie, who people can get behind.
“She is part of Amy and Friends, a charity in memory of a little girl, who had a condition similar to Elsie.
“They have been great in supporting the family through a tough time. I know the family, and it is something really lovely. I want to raise awareness for a cause close to my heart.
“I want to raise around £5000. If we can help lighten the burden for the charity and help families who may be struggling, then it will have been worth it.”
The eight-year-old was diagnosed in February 2017 with TTD, one of a handful of people in Scotland to have it, and it has been a tough road for her and her family since then.
Her mum Michelle How spoke on what it means to her and the family to have support from the community and the charity.
She said: “At first, we were pleased to have a diagnosis, then we were on our own for a long dark time until we found Amy and Friends.
“For us, this was life-changing. No funny looks, no rude questions. Not once did we have to repeat ourselves or feel belittled.
“Elsie is the most adorable, determined and inquisitive little girl, there are things she can do and things she can't. Nothing stops her.
“Jules has been a really good friend for several years and has always supported our local fundraising events.
“It is all about raising awareness because it can be quite dark and lonely. For Jules and others to help us out is amazing.
“It’s all about the community, and to have people behind us is quite nice.”
To donate and support Jules' fundraiser, visit her JustGiving page.
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