A BUSINESSWOMAN is getting ready to climb the world’s highest freestanding mountain to help raise money to help a two-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer.

Lorraine Thornber, who runs LTC Recruitment in Rishton, has never met little Neave Evans, but was inspired to take on the challenge to fund a sensory room for her Great Harwood home after hearing about her struggle.

Lorraine is set to leave for Tanzania on October 12 and will spend five days climbing to the Kilimanjaro summit, which is 19,341 feet above sea level.

She said she hoped to raise around £1,000 for the room, which will help Neave, who is celebrating her second birthday today, keep calm when she has muscle spasms.

The 49-year-old said: “I feel that because I have been in Rishton for 10 years, I needed to support a local cause.

“Neave is only two and at the end of the day, I can do and she cannot.

“I have not met her yet, but I have heard a lot about her and her situation.

“I am not looking forward to the cold, the toilets or the tent.

“But I am looking forward to the challenge and raising money for Neave.”

Neave has four limb cerebral palsy, which means she has poor muscle tone in her trunk, and cannot sit, walk, or crawl.

Her parents, Jan and Maxine, travel to special facilities to allow her to use a sensory room, which, they say, helps settle, and soothe her when seizures make her limbs stiffen.

Jan said: “I am absolutely flabbergasted.

“Lorraine has never met Neave before.

“She has just seen her story in the papers and decided she wanted to help which really is amazing.

“Neave has a lot of spasms and the soft play area, the lights and sounds really calm her down.

“At home, we have nothing at all like that and to be able to take her into such a calming environment will just be brilliant.”

To sponsor Lorraine, you can visit the website www.goldengiving.com/fundraising/Kilimanjaro-4-Neave, call 01254 888611, or you can pop into LTC Recruitment, in High Street.