Leeds primary school pupils scaling new heights to help brave classmate Euan

Ten-year-old Euan has the progressive muscle wasting condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The youngster, from Alwoodley, Leeds, is now at the point where walking is becoming increasingly harder and he is no longer able to join in with his friends at playtime.

Seventeen of his fellow pupils at Highfield Primary School, Moortown, are planning to climb the equivalent of the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raise £5,400 needed for a specially adapted electric wheelchair so he can take part in activities with them.

Euan currently has to rely on being pushed by his parents in a manual wheelchair.

His mum Alex said: "This means he has no independence at all really.

"He's at the point where if he gets knocked over playing with his friends he can't get back up on his own.

"It can't be nice for a ten-year-old boy to have to worry about something like that.

"All he wants to do is join in the fun with his friends and have some independence.

"It's lovely so see the community pulling together to help a determined boy who has so much stacked against him."

The sponsored climb will take place at Clip 'n Climb, Brown Lane, Holbeck, on Sunday May 5.

Those taking part have set themselves the challenge of reaching a combined height of 2,153m by continuously scaling the centre's nine-metre wall throughout the day.

Euan will also be able to take part in the fundraising effort thanks to an adapted pulley system which allows him to join in.

Dad Warren said: "We are incredibly fortunate that Euan has the most wonderful friends in his class at school.

"They always look out for him and make sure he is included in everything.

"We were rather overwhelmed at the reaction of all his friends when we came up with the idea of the sponsored climb."