Seven-year-old girl smashes target and raises almost £3,000 for charity climbing North Berwick Law everyday in February

Seven-year-old Nina has climbed the 613ft hill in North Berwick 26 times so far, and has just two days left of her challenge.

Reverse Rett funds and supports vital research into Rett Syndrome; a debilitating genetic disorder which strikes previously healthy young girls, including Nina’s sister, Eliza, taking away their ability to walk, talk and even breathe properly.

Nina set an initial target to raise £250 for the charity and has absolutely smashed it, sitting currently at £2,714.

She is a keen rugby, hockey and football player, and wants nothing more than for her sister to be able to join in the fun.

On her Just Giving page, Nina wrote: “I want to raise money to give to the scientists and doctors so they can help my sister so she can play with us.

“My sister can’t climb the Law herself, and she can’t talk, walk very well or use her hands and she takes medicines for epilepsy.”

Eliza, now aged nine, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome when she was just three-years-old and will require one to one care for the rest of her life, she struggles to walk even a few steps without support.

Nina’s father, Ross McKinney is also undertaking a huge fundraiser for Reverse Rett later this year.

In December, he is starting the six-week long challenge of rowing across the Atlantic.

He said that while the idea is daunting and he knows it’s going to be incredibly hard, he’s “doing it for Eliza”.

In October last year, Eliza spent five weeks in Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital after choking on some food which led to both of her lungs collapsing, she was seconds away from cardiac arrest when she arrived at A&E.

She needed two operations and spent two weeks on a ventilator in intensive care.

Mother of four, Catherine McKinney, said: “Nina is only seven, but she and her brothers Angus and Felix, aged 11 and four, coped so well throughout what was a really stressful time for our family.

"Nina is very caring and would love it if Eliza was able to do more things for herself and join in with family activities.”

Ms McKinney also did some fundraising of her own after Eliza’s hospital stay to raise money to buy Christmas presents for all the staff and doctors who helped save her daughters life in October.

Both parents are very proud of the work Nina is doing to support the charity that means so much to their whole family.

Ms McKinney continued: “Ross and I are both very proud of Nina for sticking with the challenge as it definitely hasn’t been easy.

"We have had some of the worst weather to contend with, including snow, hailstones, sleet, rain and 50kph winds, but Nina has gone up every day despite this.

"She has a very determined character and despite sometimes wanting to give up, she has kept going and raised over £2,500 so far for research into a cure for her sister.”

To donate to Nina’s fundraiser, visit her Just Giving page here.

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