A SCHOOLGIRL with dyspraxia is cycling almost 300 miles to raise funds for a family friend suffering with a life-limiting illness.

Eleven-year-old Bridport resident, Devon Dewhurst-Pape, is cycling the 295-mile distance between Bridport and Gretna Green in Scotland.

Devon struggles with her mobility due to issues with her limbic system and dyspraxia. She has chosen to raise money for a family friend, Chloe Evans-Lippett, who has a chronic illness called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

Devon has issues with her balance, co-ordination, spacial awareness and depth perception, and finds climbing, running walking long distances and even tying her shoelaces difficult. Despite this, she is determined to overcome her own challenges to raise money for a friend in need.

Devon said: "I decided to cycle to raise money for our dear family friend because it costs so much for her husband just to visit her and I hope it will help them.

"I've enjoyed the exercise, every evening I go in my bike for at least 30 minutes. I hope to cycle as far as Scotland very soon."

Beginning at just 10 minutes per session, Devon now cycles 30 minutes each day, increasing her challenge by one minute per week. She has so far cycled around 100 miles of her journey.

Devon's mother, Charlie Francis-Pape, said: "I'm so proud of Devon. Not only is she challenging herself with exercise which she finds very difficult but she is also supporting a family in need who we love so very much.

"The money she has raised will help ease their suffering just a tiny bit but im so grateful that she is growing up to be a passionate and driven young woman."

Ten years ago, Chloe could run around and play with her daughter. She also baked, sewed, and grew vegetables. But over the past decade she has lost the ability to walk, started having seizures and had an ileostomy bag fitted after she had her colon removed. Her stomach has now been sewn to her intestines and she has to use disposable catheters.

To make her situation even worse, her husband Tony is currently going through chemotherapy for bladder cancer, which he attends once a week an hour away from their home.

Tony has had to have many surgeries to remove more than 30 tumours. Tony is Chloe's primary carer and also helps to care for their child. As a family, their income is seriously limited, despite government help.

Sadly, Chloe was readmitted to hospital last week with sepsis and a dangerously high heart rate. Up until now her heart was one of the only organs in her body not to be affected.

It costs Tony £35 a week to visit Chloe and £20 to attend his chemotherapy appointments. This is an additional £55 a week the family has to find.

Devon has decided to launch a Crowdfunder page alongside her cycling efforts, with an aim of raising £2,000 for the family, to ease their financial burden during this time.

If you would like to donate or for more information, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/devoncyclesforchloe