A KIND-HEARTED young girl took on a gruelling 20-mile bike ride to help a friend who has a rare genetic condition.

Annie Lampard and her dad Dean pedalled their way around Swindon to raise money for five-year-old Sabrina, who was diagnosed with ALG1-CDG last year.

It is a metabolic disease which mainly affects her brain and she also has epilepsy, microcephaly and hypotonia.

Annie, 8, ended the bike ride at Sabrina’s house at Scarborough Road after raising more than £630 for the cause.

She said: “Me and my dad go on bike rides quite a lot and that’s where the idea came from to help Sabrina by doing this. I had been training a lot, I will cycle every day to and from school so I was prepared for the 20 miles.

“I wanted to help her because she’s my friend, she’s very happy and smiley all the time and I wanted to help her communicate with the world.”

Annie’s mum Joanna said: “We are very proud, she is so kind-hearted and she mothers everyone. We’re not surprised that she wanted to be there and help Sabrina, she’s just amazing.”

The money raised will go to Just4Children’s Sabrina’s World fundraiser, which helps raise awareness.

Sabrina’s mum, Louise Grasso, said: “She’s the first one to do a fundraiser for Sabrina’s World, it’s amazingly kind of her to do. I think it’s a fantastic achievement, I know a lot of adults struggle to take on a 20-mile bike ride let alone a child, it’s absolutely fantastic.”

It took four-and-a-half years for Louise to get her daughter diagnosed because it’s such a rare condition. Louise said only 19 people in the entire world have it.

Sabrina's parents have to keep an eye on her all day, every day, and she has to use special equipment such as a chair for when she eats as it supports her truncal region.

As she grows the family will need to invest into more equipment for her size and this is what some of the funding will be used for as it is not provided by the NHS.

Sabrina has to take two different medications seven times a day and during the pandemic hospital appointments have been done over Zoom.

“We’ve always got to make sure our cups are flowing and everyone’s needs are being met within the family, it’s a tricky balance,” Louise said.

“It’s been a difficult thing to put our family out their and share our story but people have been amazingly supportive. It’s beyond our wildest dreams with the amount of kind messages we get. It just shows that even in these times people are willing to go out of their way to help others.”

For more information go to www.facebook.com/sabrinasworldalg1cdg