A BLACKBURN charity has pledged to help a local girl who is suffering with a rare illness.

Enola Halleron, 10, from Blackburn will never grow more than a metre tall due to having mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a rare disease that, among other things, causes skeletal growth problems.

MPS is usually diagnosed within the first five years of childhood. It is caused by a missing enzyme and is a life-long condition with no cure.

A few sufferers can live to their 50s or 60s, but the majority rarely live beyond their 20s or 30s.

People with MPS can also suffer from recurrent respiratory problems that, along with heart failure, can lead to death.

Blackburn charity Al-Imdaad Foundation met Enola’s family at an event at the mayor’s parlour with Blackburn mayor Salim Mulla, and learned of her plight.

Charity officials were extremely touched be Enola’s story and promised to provide long-term support for her illness.

Enola is set to get a new wheelchair before she starts secondary school in September, but will need additional help, including an adapted family car to carry her chair.

Projects co-ordinator Zubair Valimulla said: “It was fantastic to meet Enola and her family. The smile this beautiful girl has is amazing.

“We will support this cause as long as we can and we will give this priority as well as our work in over 65 countries.”

An appeal has been launched for Enola on the group’s website www.alimdaad.co.uk. The Al-Imdaad Foundation has supported many other UK projects including OCD action, cancer awareness and also assisted during the UK floods in February.

More recently it contributed £20,000 towards the Mayor’s Kidney Care appeal, which will now provide a dialysis machine at Royal Blackburn hospital.

The charity received a letter of acknowledgment from the Queen for the work it carries out globally.

Enola’s mother Donna Halleron said: “We want to thank them. It was amazing meeting them, and they made Enola’s year.

“She was beaming when we met them all, and she woke up happy as Larry the next morning because she knew there are people out there supporting her, and they said how special she was.

“It was something we weren’t expecting, but we’re proud to have their support.”