A FAMILY today spoke of their race against time to send their two-year-old with cerebral palsy for pioneering treatment in Hungary.

Kirsty Murrary and Nicki Shepherd are hoping little Nicki-James can attend the world-famous Peto Institute to allow him to walk.

But the family, of Quaker's View, Brierfield, need to raise £5,000 before the date of the therapy in August.

Local race horse owner Lionel Snowdon, of Valley Paddocks Racing, Sabden, has stepped in with the help of his celebrity friends to organise a sportsman's dinner in aid of the fund.

Mum Kirsty said: "He is just learning to walk on quad sticks. But with the help of the Peto Institute he should be able to walk independently."

Nicki-James, who became disabled after being starved of oxygen for 12 hours during birth, currently travels daily to receive therapy at Liverpool. "He has come on in absolute leaps and bounds to move around on quad sticks. But he just does not get enough time in Liverpool." His brain and upper body were not affected but his legs were and he attends the Child Development Centre at Reedley Hall and Lomeshaye Village Nursery.

The Peto Institute is one of the biggest and best centres in the world for Cerebral Palsy therapy.

Kirsty said: "It is also more intense and therapy is given all day every day."

A sportsman's dinner earlier in the month raised £2,000 but the family also have to find money to fund a course of metabolic therapy which helps Nicki-James's development through natural substances at £1,500 a course.

Kirsty said: "The aim is for him to be able to walk by the time he reaches school and for him to live as normal a life as possible." "It is a major rush to raise as much money as possible." Nicki-James became a sufferer of cerebral palsy after being starved of oxygen for 12 hours during his birth.

Lionel, who has arranged the sportsman's dinner on Tuesday, August 6, said: "I heard of Nicki-James and the fact that there was not long to go before the money had to be raised.

"So I contacted Peter Ebdon who is a good pal of mine and he donated a signed cue to be auctioned and Tony Jo of the Grumbleweeds has given his services to the evening free of charge."

To attend the Sportsman's Dinner, which will also feature cricketer Geoff Miller, contact 01282 603897.