A man living with Alzheimer's was left speechless following the actions of his "incredible" seven-year-old niece.
Heidi Barker, from Great Sutton, has raised more than £15,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK after walking a staggering 603 miles, the equivalent of the distance from Land's End to John O'Groats. Heidi mounted the challenge in honour of her great uncle Ian, who was diagnosed with the disease in autumn 2020.
Ian began to suspect something was wrong when he couldn't remember his way to familiar places in the car. And the 72-year-old was bursting with pride for his niece after she completed her walk on Saturday (June, 18).
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Heidi's dad, David, told the ECHO: " She decided that she wanted to do something to help Ian and other families who also have loved ones living with Alzheimer’s. She was having a think about what she could do, and she's loved walking for as long as I can remember.
"Even as a baby she hardly spent any time in her push chair. She likes history and culture as well, so we thought, if she walks from Lands End to John O’Groats she could learn about all the towns and cities she’d visit along the way and learn new things while raising some money.
“When Ian was asked on Saturday to try and sum up how he feels about what Heidi’s doing, he actually couldn’t speak. He was just so emotional because he’s so proud of her. Him and Heidi absolutely adore each other.”
Heidi first embarked on her challenge in March 2021, when she was just six, and she's since walked an average of 1.4 miles for over 450 days. Most of her hikes have taken place around Wirral although, at certain points, she has visited the 'real' locations along the famous route, including places like Blackpool and Bewdley.
David said: “I think if we’d have thought about how long it was going to take her when it started, we probably would have thought twice about it, but she’s so determined that she just carried on going. Her original target was £1000 and she’s now at about £15,500.
“She’s just an incredible, very caring, very loving little girl who always puts other people first."
Not only has Heidi's work been celebrated in the local community, but it's also attracted the attention of two LFC legends. After seeing the seven-year-old fundraising exploits on Twitter, former Reds winger, John Barnes, volunteered himself to have an egg cracked over his head in a bid to raise more money.
He then nominated fellow Liverpool icon, Robbie Fowler, to take part in the challenge, although David says that Heidi is still waiting for the "elusive egging" of other stars such as Jamie Carragher and Steve McManaman.
Speaking about Ian's condition, David said that he “has better days than others" but his symptoms, fortunately, seem to be developing quite slowly. In terms of what's next for Heidi, she is potentially going to take part in a 200-mile virtual cycle ride for Macmillan - after she's had a well-earned rest.
You can donate to Heidi's page here.
