A schoolgirl was so touched by her uncle's health battle she pledged to do all she could to help.
Heidi Barker, from Great Sutton, raised more than £16,500 for Alzheimer's Research UK after covering a staggering 603 miles, the equivalent of walking 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.
Having completed the incredible feat last summer and made headlines, eight-year-old Heidi soon spoke of the next challenge she has set herself, to cycle more than 200-miles, the equivalent of London to Paris. Making a start on April 13 this year, dad David said her selfless acts have them in tears.
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The money raised from this fundraiser will be split between Alzheimer's Research UK and Macmillan. Heidi's uncle Ian began to suspect something was wrong when he couldn't remember his way to familiar places in the car. He was soon diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
David said: "Her uncle Ian is deteriorating quite quickly I'm sad to say, there's not a lot of conversation that comes from him but we are all really proud. She's such a determined, lovely little character, always putting people first."
He added: "At the end of her last fundraiser, she was interviewed and asked what she was going to do next and she said a 200-mile bike ride. We had the winter off and she mentioned it and mentioned it.
"She wanted to do it for Alzheimer's again to help her uncle Ian and she also saw adverts on TV for Macmillan and was really impressed. I told her how good they'd been for my mum when my dad had cancer and she wanted to split the funds equally."
Heidi will be cycling around Wirral and each day will tally up her completed miles until she reaches the 214mile mark. Having already completed 13miles, David said he hoped she will "have the time of her life".
He told the ECHO: "She's always putting people first. We were coming out of school and she saw a friend of hers crying, she passed me her bike and went back over to check he was alright. It's the really sweet, little things.
"Whenever she sees adverts on TV she wants to help, she sponsors animals and wants to help others with her Christmas money. I'm biased because I'm her dad but I've never met a little kid like her, she's so confident and chatty, I was never like that."
Heidi hopes to raise £2,000 to be split between the two charities.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so here. You can also keep up to date with her progress on her Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.
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