Shilbottle man raises funds to help family whose two daughters have rare brain disorder

Steve Ballantyne took on a challenge to run 10k in less than 90 minutes as part of the Great North Run series.

He managed it in 67 minutes and has raised over £500 for the Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) Foundation.

Earlier this year, Ally Wallace and her fiance Jake Shaw, also from Shilbottle, were devastated when two-year-old Nala and her sister Teddi were diagnosed with the genetic disorder.

Tragically, Nala is not expected to live beyond childhood and is unable to receive treatment because her brain has deteriorated too far already.

However, there is hope for Teddi who is set to get pioneering gene therapy treatment.

“I was proud to complete my 10k run in just over an hour despite the intense heat of the day,” Steve said. “I am very grateful to all my sponsors.”

Steve recently raised £1,300 for Children with Cancer UK by completing the Three Peaks Challenge in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The former teacher, who is now in the British Army, is now planning to skydive from 10,000 feet to support another children’s charity in September.

Meanwhile, a Go Fund Me Page set up by Ally to raise funds so they can take Nala to Disneyland and purchase equipment to make her more comfortable has raised more than £10,000. Some of the money will also be used to support Teddi as she goes through treatment.

A fundraiser for the family is also being held at Shilbottle Community Hall on Saturday, July 30 from 1pm-4pm.