Libby Smalley looks just like any other happy eight-year-old girl as she reaches up to give her mum Elaine a big cuddle. But Libby, from Birmingham, was born with spinal muscular atrophy type two, a degenerative muscle condition. This means she will never be able to walk unaided.

But thanks to much-needed funding from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the leading UK charity focusing on all muscle diseases and now Tesco Charity of the Year 2009, Libby is still able to have some mobility. The charity donated money towards the cost of a motorised wheelchair, improving Libby’s quality of life and allowing her to be more independent.

Her mum Elaine says, ‘If it wasn’t for all the support from the charity I don’t know where we would have been. Libby goes to a normal school, she belongs to various clubs, and she’s a very confident child. None of this would have been possible without the charity’s help as social services only give us the bare minimum.

‘The work the charity does is invaluable to many families who would otherwise be unable to cope. There’s always someone on hand to offer advice with any issues. I have three other children and two stepchildren and all our lives have been made so much easier thanks to the support we’ve been given.’

And Libby says, ‘My wheelchair was my best present ever. I take it to school so I can get around, and go to maths and swimming which are my favourite lessons.’

Helping local children

More than 60,000 people in the UK are, like Libby, affected by muscular dystrophy. And of these 8,000 are babies and children. These diseases cause muscles, including the heart, to weaken and waste. Sadly there is no cure and many children will not live to reach adulthood.The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign provides grants towards the cost of specialist equipment, such as electric beds, powered wheelchairs and adapted computers, for those with muscle disease in the UK. These grants fund equipment, that the health and social services may not provide.

This year, working with Tesco, the charity hopes to raise £2 million to fund much-needed specialist equipment to help increase the independence of hundreds of children. And all the money raised at each Tesco store will be spent on children with the illness who live locally. Chief executive of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Phillip Butcher says, ‘We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen as the Tesco Charity of the Year for 2009.

‘I hope working with Tesco will increase awareness of this devastating disease.

‘Our charity relies almost entirely on voluntary donations. This partnership will help to raise the vital funds needed for the cause. We would like to thank all the customers and staff in advance for their support over the coming year.’

To make a donation text* Tesco to 84424 or see
www.muscular-dystrophy.org/tesco

*You will be charged £1.50 (plus your normal network rate) from which the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign will receive between 94p and £1 depending on your network. We will not use your mobile number for any purpose other than processing your donation and your details will never be passed on to third parties.

Record-breaking amount raised thanks to you

With your help, the money raised for Tesco Charity of the Year 2008, Marie Curie Cancer Care** has reached £5 million – double the original target of £2.5m, and is the biggest amount ever raised in a charity of the year partnership. So a huge thanks to everyone who has made this a record-breaking year. For the final total see www.mariecurie.org.uk/tesco. Money raised will help Marie Curie Cancer Care fund an additional 250,000 hours of nursing at home for over 4,400 terminally ill patients and their families throughout the UK.

**Registered in England and Wales with Charity Reg No. 207994 and registered in Scotland with Charity Reg No. SC038731