A PEEBLES family are making the Proclaimers’ smash hit a reality by walking 500 miles.

The McGrath clan are ‘gonna be’ clocking up the miles this month for a brave girl who was born with a potentially fatal condition.

Sandra McGrath said: “Collectively we aim to walk 500 miles between 1st and 15th August and are well on track to smash that target.

“We hope to raise £2,000 and, again, are already well up towards that total.”

The money will go towards the charity DEBRA, which funds research trying to find a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The condition causes internal and external blistering.

Sandra and her husband Mike were due to take part in the Great Wilderness Challenge in Wester Ross, alongside their daughter Sarah Keen and son Allan.

Although the pandemic put the brakes on their plans, the family were determined to help DEBRA.

The charity looks after 12-year-old Isla Grist, who lives near Inverness.

Born at home, the paramedics who delivered Isla immediately rushed her to hospital where, for the first six months of her life, her parents Rachael and Andy carried her around on a pillow as the slightest knock or rub could tear her skin.

Isla has had a painful life with endless visits to Great Ormond Street Hospital for treatments and operations.

Every step, knock, or bump can cause permanent damage and her body is completely bandaged with thrice-weekly changes.

Isla’s plight is close to the McGrath family’s heart, and for the last 11 years Mike and Sandra have been taking part in the Great Wilderness Challenge.

Together with their extended family and friends, they raised £4,000 for the charity last year.

Due to the event's cancellation this year, they decided to fundraise with their own personal family challenge.

Sandra said: “We’ve done our walking/running in the forests and hills around Peebles.

“Also our son Allan McGrath, his wife Rhona, and 10-year-old twins, Duncan and Isla, and 7-year-old Kirsty have taken part.

“They did some walking around Edinburgh and are now continuing to complete their mileage from our holiday cottage in Gairloch, Wester Ross.”

EB affects every part of Isla’s life and the family have had to adapt to a different kind of normal, like two trampolines – one for Isla and one for her sister Emily.

And simply running around with friends is out of the question as it poses a danger to Isla.

DEBRA is funding pioneering research into effective treatments and a cure for the condition.

The McGrath family have proved they will walk 500 miles and more, just to be the ones to help Isla live the pain-free life she so desperately hopes for.