A LITTLE girl with a rare disease is one of thousands of youngsters being supported by this year’s BBC Children in Need.

The annual fundraiser supports worthy causes around the world but also those closer to home. Children in Need has provided Little Havens Hospice with a grant of £105,000 over a period of three years.

The hospice in Thundersley gives vital care to children with life-limiting illnesses like five-year-old Ruby Sparrow.

Ruby has Rett syndrome, a condition that affects the development of the brain and can cause severe disability in children.

In Ruby, the condition has caused epilepsy, scoliosis, irregular breathing and poor swallowing. She also suffers from dystonia where her muscles spasm needs regular physiotherapy.

Mum, Laura, 35 from Hockley said: “When you see her little body going through all of that it’s so hard. To go from doctors telling you what Rett could do and to now see how it’s affecting her it’s really difficult.”

Just before Ruby turned three in August 2013 the family was referred to Little Havens Hospice where they now stay for respite breaks.

Mrs Sparrow said: “When we went to have a look around I felt such emotion, it was instant relief. I don’t know why, but I just felt it was really safe.

“We use Little Havens for respite care and we have an annual assessment and get a certain number of days but in the last two years we have used the hospice far more because we were flooded and had to move out of the house for a year.”

While at Little Havens Hospice, Ruby enjoys swimming, going on the wheelchair accessible swings in the garden and the multi-sensory room. She also takes part music therapy sessions.

Mrs Sparrow added: “We have had incredible support there. They take over all Ruby’s needs and it leaves us time to have fun with her without worrying about things like medication and physio.

“Ruby is very intelligent. Her school have been brilliant and have got her an eye gaze computer. She can’t talk but can communicate with that. The hospice has one as well so the nurses can play games with her.

“We are overwhelmed with how wonderful Little Havens has been. People think it’s a sad place but we walk in the door and breath a sigh of relief and Ruby is always excited to go there.”

AN Essex choir is hoping to raise money for Children in Need with their new charity single.

More than 250 members of the Funky Voices choir, many of whom hail from south Essex, packed into the Maida Vale studio in London to record their version of the Erasure classic Stop.

The choir recorded a whole album in the studio, with Stop being their lead single and they were met in the studio by Children in Need mascot Pudsey, and Erasure’s lead singer Andy Bell.

Sandra Colston, musical director of Funky Voices, said: “This was such an amazing day – to have worked with the team from Children In Need, to meet Andy and to see his reaction and how much he enjoyed our performance.

“The slogan of Children In Need is ‘Be A Hero’ and Andy is certainly a hero for many people in the choir.”

The single was released, via iTunes, on Monday and is already up to number 105 in their chart.

Having watched the performance, Andy said: “It was quite overwhelming to walk into the recording studio and see over 250 people singing your song. Funky Voices have done a fantastic job.” To download the song visit iTunes and search “Funky Voices”.