Cousin to skydive for Sick Kids fundraiser

Five-year-old Lucie Wylie, who lives in Mayfield, Dalkeith, was born with a duplex kidney, meaning she has two conjoined kidneys on her right-hand side.

Her cousin, Emma-Louise Wylie, 21, will be taking part in a tandem skydive this Saturday, with all proceeds going to the Sick Kids hospital.

Emma-Louise will travel to Fife Airport in Glenrothes having already more than doubled her initial fundraising target of £350 after £750 was donated.

The events management student from Newtongrange, who attends Queen Margaret University, said: “Lucie has been in and out of hospital since she was born and the Sick Kids Hospital have done so much to make sure she is as relaxed as possible. The staff are lovely and they really deserve far more recognition and support.

“I’m an uneasy flyer and I really don’t like heights so I don’t think I really thought through what I was letting myself in for.”

Lucie was first diagnosed when she was eight weeks old after she had trouble breathing and was suffering from a high fever.

Her mum, Valerie, 35, a care assistant, said: “When we took her to hospital they realised she had a urinary tract infection and gave her a scan to find out why.

“She also became seriously ill with E.coli when she was about two after another urinary tract infection was misdiagnosed as a virus.

“She had to be rushed to hospital and was kept in for three weeks. It was awful.”

But she said the youngster had shown a strong fighting spirit during her visits to  hospital.

She said: “Some kids would fight going to hospital but she loves the Sick Kids. Even when she was very ill, she would have them wheel her bed into the playroom. She loves all the toys and being with the other children.”

In November 2011, Lucie had an operation to close the urethra on her upper right kidney. However, Valerie and the rest of the family – plasterer dad Ian, 39, and brothers Lewis, 16, and Morgan, 15 – are still waiting to find out if the procedure was a complete  success. Valerie said: “It takes time to be absolutely sure. She had a scan last week to check her kidneys are functioning properly, and we’ll get the results of that in May.”

She added: “We’re so proud of Emma- Louise – especially as we know she doesn’t like heights.”

To donate, see www.justgiving.com/Emma-Louise-Wylie