A terminally ill girl from Swindon was treated to a lovely surprise as Jeffreys Bikers drove hundreds of miles to give her a teddy bear.
Six-year-old Addy Clarke has an illness called Battens disease, a neurological de-generative illness which affects children and they lose every skill that they have learnt.
As a result, a child can have a life expectancy of between eight years and 12 years.
Addy’s father Dave Clarke of Stratton explained: “Children die of it way too early, they lose their skills, they lose their sight and everything they’ve ever learnt.”
On Sunday, Jeffreys Bikers handed over a Teddy Bear to Addy at the Greenbridge Retail Park to the surprise of the young girl.
They drove all the way from West Wales to deliver the Teddy Bear at around 4:30pm.
The group started at the Llanelli Scarlets stadium, before making deliveries in Ebbw Vale and Gloucester
After the handover, Addy was able to sit on the numerous bikes that turned up.
Speaking after the event, Dave said: “It was so humbling to see strangers drive 200 miles to give your daughter a present.
“To see her face light up and smile and at the end of the day, we don’t know how many moments we will get to have with her and to see the joy on her face is just priceless.
“We want to thank Jeff’s riders for being able to do that and the Batten’s disease family association who stand with all the families in the UK.”
One of the bikers, Steve Hibbert, who is originally from Manchester but now lives in Swansea, said: “Seeing all the smiles on the kid's faces makes it all worthwhile.
“We’ve seen three kids with absolute beaming smiles on their faces and that’s what makes it all worthwhile.
“One smile in one day makes a difference."
The 49-year-old added that the situation made him grateful that his own kids were fit and healthy.
“It makes you appreciate how hard families work to keep these kids smiling.”
Neil Richards from Llanelli added: “It puts things into perspective for us as well, it’s certainly a humbling experience meeting all these children and their families.
“It’s not just about delivering an emotional support bear for each child, but it’s about supporting and showing families they aren’t alone.”
“It’s memories for mums and dads and everyone else and reaching out and showing the support is there.
“If we can make someone happy for a day or a few hours, then it makes it all worthwhile and special for that particular family.”
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