Adele’s a shoe-ly wonderful person (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Adele’s a shoe-ly wonderful person

4:57pm Saturday 3rd February 2007 in

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A BUSINESSWOMAN has proved she has lots of sole - by donating a shop full of shoes to help a terminally ill-youngster.

Adele Swift was due to set up her own shoe shop until she read about the plight of three-year-old Nicholas Robinson in the Lancashire Telegraph.

So instead of trying to overcome her own health problems and difficulties finding the right premises, she donated 160 pairs of shoes to help raise money for him.

His family collected over £400 after having a fundraising party selling the footwear.

Nicholas, of Beech Road, Great Harwood, has Alpers' Disease, a rare genetic disorder which causes the brain to kill off its cells, resulting in an increasing loss of skills and awareness.

He was struck down by the illness at the age of two and is now unable to walk, talk or even smile.

Friends of the Robinsons have launched an appeal to raise £100,000, which will be used to adapt the family home,including access for a wheelchair and room for Nicholas' specialist medical equipment. Money will also be given to Derian House and the Rainbow Trust, which offers the family respite care.

Mrs Swift, 41, of Louis Pollard Crescent, Great Harwood, has now shelved plans to open a shop.

The manager of the Clitheroe Help the Aged charity shop in Moor Lane, said: "I was so shocked by what has happened to Nicholas I wanted to help.

"When I read about the appeal in the Telegraph I was in the process of opening a shop but I was having some problems and knew that the right thing to do was to help raise some money. I hope they reach their target as soon as possible."

Nicholas' grandmother Sandra Robinson said: "Adele's gene-rosity is fantastic, it was so kind of her to let us sell the shoes, which were in perfect condition and rather elegant. We would like to thank her very much."

The Nicholas Appeal has already received the backing of Blackburn Rovers striker Paul Gallagher who first visited him in hospital in December.

And he was so touched by Nicholas's condition that he even rang the family on Christmas Day to see if he was all right.