Five-year-old Pendle boy takes on the Lake District's Mount Skiddaw in aid of Ronald Macdonald House

Laurie Mitton has raised more than £2,000 for the Ronald Macdonald House, which provided free accommodation to his family while his little sister, Effie, was at Manchester Children’s Hospital for eight weeks last May.

Laurie decided to raise the money by walking up Mount Skiddaw in the Lake District during the Easter holidays.

His mum, Amy Pointon, a teacher at Blessed Trinity RC College in Burnley, said: “As parents, we’re both really proud of him, not just for going up Skiddaw but also how he’s dealt with the situation. His sister has been in and out of hospital and he’s coped extremely well.”

Effie has been receiving hospital care for a poorly heart, stomach and lungs since she was born. Last year, she was put on a ventilator to help her breathe and was in the critical care unit for eight weeks, with her parents staying at Ronald McDonald House (RMH) so that they could be there for her when she woke up. Meanwhile, Laurie was with his grandparents during the week so he continue to attend school but visited his parents and sisters at RMH on weekends.

“As a family, we relied on Ronald McDonald House for eight weeks, which is a long time. Before we had Effie, I didn’t even know it existed. To have somewhere we could be as a family and the fact that Laurie could come see us every weekend was invaluable. He made lots of friends there and it was a really nice thing for him while our family was going through a lot of stress.”

Talking about Laurie’s determination to give back to the charity, Amy added: "Skiddaw was a real physical challenge but going up there he was offering sweets out to everybody on the walk. His auntie found it challenging and he said, ‘It’s OK, just put one foot in front of the other.’ He was just great on the day.

"He’s very energetic, kind and caring. He’s a good big brother to his sister Effie.”

To make a donation towards the cause, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/amy-pointon-1700548248416