Teams are put through their paces in It's a Knockout contest for brave Amelie Gledhill

Teams battled through some wet and wacky challenges to raise money for a brave schoolgirl from Elland.
Amelie with her dad Jon and mum Anne at the It's a Knockout contest.Amelie with her dad Jon and mum Anne at the It's a Knockout contest.
Amelie with her dad Jon and mum Anne at the It's a Knockout contest.

The It’s a Knockout event at Greetland Community Centre saw groups getting soaked and bounced as they competed in the water and inflatables challenge.Donations are still being counted but the event looks to have raised over £6,000. The money will go to help 11-year-old Amelie Gledhill who has a rare genetic condition called Russell Silver Syndrome which limits her growth and causes a catalogue of other complications.Amelie, now a pupil at Brooksbank School in Elland, has had around 25 operations since she was born and frequently needs hospital treatment. Money raised in the past has paid for electric wheelchairs and adaptations required at Amelie’s home as well as going to help other children with similar needs. Her family are currently collecting towards a wheelchair-accessible car.Amelie’s mum, Anne, organises the It’s a Knockout event but said that she will not be able to hold it next year because Amelie is set to undergo major surgery on her back.Anne, who used to be a paediatric nurse but can no longer work because of the care Amelie needs, said: “She has spinal surgery later this year and that will be a long recovery. “After everything that has been thrown at her, she still has a long way to go. Every year there’s something else to tackle.”In 2011, a documentary was made - The Real Thumbalina - which followed the family as they tried to find ways for Amelie to live a normal life.They still receive messages of support from people who have seen the show as it is still being shown around the world.Anne said Amelie is enjoying secondary school but finds it frustrating not being able to do everything her friends can.“It’s hard for her, now that she’s getting older,” Anne said. “She wants to join in with everything but she can’t physically do it. It breaks my heart.”This week, when the rest of her class were on a residential trip to Ambleside, Anne took Amelie up for a day so that she could join in with raft-building and a disco. To donate to Amelie’s fund visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ameliesbigworld. Anne said she wanted to thank the firms who sponsored the It's a Knockout event - Brook Miller Mobility, Fixings Factory, Halifax Chriopractic Centre and Audiologic.

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