THE FAMILY of a Chelmsford girl who has painful spidery leg veins due to a rare condition has given thanks to the hospital which is treating her – by holding a singathon.
Nine-year-old Sydney Alderman, who lives in Wiggins View, near Chancellor Park, with her mum Louise, dad Joel and five-year-old sister Bryony, has suffered from Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and venous malformation since birth.
The condition sees varicose-like veins grow and extra tissue form in Sydney's left leg, along with a birthmark on her foot, leaving the youngster unable to run around or trampoline as she would like.
"We have a yearly check-up and sclerotherapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital which she is quite anxious about," said mum Louise, 39.
The sclerotherapy sees medicine injected into the veins, which shrinks them, but this is painful.
"She has been having some therapy to help her come to terms with how the leg affects her. She has been quite anxious and not wanting any more surgery," said Louise. "You can see the difference in her leg, it's a bit bigger on her left side.
"It does make her self-conscious. She thinks her leg is a lot bigger than it is."
Her grandma Jane Reynolds, of Highwood near Chelmsford, organised a singathon with the village choir as a way of saying 'thank you' to the London children's hospital that is in charge of her treatment.
She said: "There was a guy who had arthritis and he was bedbound all the time and we got him an electric wheelchair and it changed his life. If Sydney could donate money to GOSH it might give her a boost of confidence."
Mum Louise added: "Sydney wears compression stockings. They compress the leg so they are not nice to wear. We have different colours, we have some with stickers. She has been treated at GOSH since she was four. She has quite a few spidery veins. The problem's in her upper thigh.
"The care from GOSH has been fabulous, they have been so supportive. I phoned up the clinical nurse and she has got back to me with support."
Sydney, who manned the cake stall, spoke to the Chronicle before the event and said: "I can't wait to sell all the cakes.
"The hospital has helped me a lot."
At the time the Chronicle went to press, the event had raised at least £1,200.
