Friends desperate to cure little girl organise charity ball (From Enfield Independent)
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Friends desperate to cure 'sweetest' little girl with Rett Syndrome organise charity ball
5:54pm Thursday 27th September 2012 in News By Hermione Wright
Ava and her mother Laura
Family friends of a little girl with a serious degenerative disease are desperately raising money to help find a cure.
Three-year-old Ava Carter, who lives in Fir Tree Walk in Enfield Town, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome last January - a day before her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Rett Syndrome targets previously healthy young girls after they have just learnt to walk and utter their first words, and drags their development backwards.
The condition means Ava, who attends Waverley Special School in The Ride, can no longer communicate and is likely to require 24-hour care when she reaches adulthood.
Her 33-year-old mother Laura beat cancer, reaching one year without the disease on August 8 this year.
Friends Emma Wells, Emma Beacham and Jason Croucher have worked for months to organise a masked ball and auction in The Cheshunt Country Club in Theobalds Park this Saturday.
The team are working to raise awareness about the disease and raise as much money as possible for charity Rett Syndrome Research Trust.
The charity, which does not receive Government funding, is dedicated to finding a cure.
Ms Wells, who described the condition as “cruel,” said: “Ava is the prettiest, cutest, sweetest little girl - I know I am biased but it’s true.
“She can’t communicate in any way but she does understand – she gets it, which is why we are just so keen to raise awareness.”
Last year, they raised £24,000 through a ball, which they split between Rett Syndrome Research Trust and Cancer Research UK.
However, this year the money will go straight to the Rett charity, and they are determined to beat their total.
Ms Wells added: “Laura is all of our rocks. She was determined that she wouldn’t let the cancer ruin her life. She is always smiling and is the driving force behind us.
“When we thing we have had a bad day we think ‘suck it up;’ it could be a lot worse – that is how she smashed the cancer.”
To visit Ava’s fundraising page, click here.
