A PETERCHURCH mother is calling for families to breathe new life into hopes for her son’s future this Easter - simply by having fun.

Pauline Brace wants children of all ages to go to Hereford Leisure Centre on Wednesday for dancing and games in aid of Action Duchenne, a charity she became an advocate for after her 10-year-old son Josh was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

More than £1000 has been raised for the organisation, which this summer will help Josh start pioneering treatment, after the mum-of-four appealed to county residents in The Hereford Times last December.

“One of Josh’s school friends read the article at Christmas and said “that’s it, I’m doing something to help”, and he ran and ran our lane over and over and wouldn’t stop, telling his family it was a sponsored event. He raised £22 and that meant so very much to us all,” Pauline said.

Medical breakthroughs mean symptoms which could see Josh needing a wheelchair soon could be about to improve, but with genetic patching trials - that could potentially repair faulty genes in DMD sufferers nationwide - imminent more money is needed for them to continue.

Pauline said Hereford firms like the Courtyard, Golden Valley and the Leisure Centre had helped greatly with the event, which takes place between 10am and 12pm and costs £2 per child.

Dance lessons from Body Language and Fairfield pupil Louis Provis will be available alongside stalls and games.

£600 was also raised at Pauline’s birthday party recently, a further £200 was donated from the proceeds of Clehonger dance club’s February disco and a parachute jump will also be completed in June.

For more information on the fun day or skydive, or if you are affected by DMD, call Pauline on 01981 550878.

For more information on DMD visit www.actionduchenne.org or to donate visit www.justgiving.com//doogiesbirthday