Eight-year-old’s fundraising effort for neonatal unit
Anaiya Dyer with Sharon Wilding, senior staff nurse on the neonatal unit, at the West Suffolk Hospital. Photo: My WiSH Charity.
An eight-year-old girl from Stowmarket has beaten a challenge to carry out 100 cartwheels in 10 minutes to raise money for charity.
Anaiya Dyer took up the Capt Tom Foundation (CTF) challenge smashing the target by doing 104 cartwheels in just three minutes ending up with £407.
The money was then split between the CTF and the My WiSH Charity, which supports the work at the West Suffolk Hospital, with the cash directed towards the neonatal unit where she was treated and who helped to save her life.
The youngster, who is a pupil at Abbots Hall Primary School, in Danescourt Avenue, Stowmarket, was inspired to carry out the stunt after seeing Capt Sir Tom Moore’s charity walk.
And family and friends turned up at the town’s Recreation Ground, in Park Road, to witness her challenge.
Her mother Kelly Dyer said her daughter, a member of the Bury Spectrum Gymnastics Club, was “really poorly’ when she was born and was in a “bad way”.
She came into the world a month early weighing 5lbs and had swallowed her meconium, meaning she needed the care of the neonatal unit.
Anaiya was even interviewed live on air on Heart radio’s breakfast show with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden last month about her cartwheeling stunt.
Her 44-year-old mother said: “She was not breathing when she was born and she was really poorly and in a bad way for a week and had to be on a ventilator but the doctors and nursing staff were amazing and they effectively saved her life really and we are forever grateful. She has come a long way from there and it was a nice thing for her to do.”
And Anaiya said that she “enjoyed” the challenge adding: “I heard this voice in my head and I said I wanted to do this and it was really exciting and challenging.”
Sally Daniels, fundraising manager for My WiSH, said: “It was a pleasure to meet Anaiya and so kind of her to take on this challenge to raise money for both charities. Our neonatal unit are amazing and I know they are truly grateful for this donation which will go on to help other babies needing their special care”.