KIND-HEARTED Peebles building society staff will walk 500 miles to help a baby with a rare genetic disorder.

Nationwide Building Society branch manager Robbie Maciver, 32, and member representative Kelly Burnhill, 45, will join 25 other members of staff, from across the region, to help baby Violet born with symptomatic spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Type 1 SMA, a one in 10,000 disorder, is the most severe prognosis for symptoms and life expectancy.

Violet, aged nine months, the niece of another staff member at Nationwide, Kelly Cowe from Dunfermline, was found to have SMA when 11 weeks old, in the Cayman Islands.

Ms Cowe said: “Doctors found out Violet had the SMA disorder when she was 11 weeks old.

“Her parents, Daniel and Brooke, noticed things with Violet’s movements which were not similar to to other newborns. They went to the paediatrician and even though SMA is extremely rare she tested for the disorder. My brother Daniel is looking after Violet full time.

“Prior to that he was working as a scuba diver and mum Brooke is a paralegal in the Caymans.

“It is very much taking each day as it comes at the moment

“Using their medical insurance, they took Violet to Philadelphia in the United States for initial gene therapy, with a $2.2m ground-breaking drug called Zolgensma, given as an infusion.

“Violet now takes daily medication which is a treatment, not a cure, which is $14,000 every three months.

“It is being partly funded by the health insurance and part by the Cayman government but that cost will go up and up and they will have to start funding all or some of it themselves.

“Hopefully this drug will keep Violet from needing feeding tubes and ventilators.

“Brooke has petitioned the Cayman Islands government and every newborn baby will now be routinely tested for SMA.

“It is not something that is tested, as part of regular screening, in the UK.”

Ms Cowe has set up a GoFundMe pages to help with the ongoing expenses faced by Violet’s parents, Daniel and Brooke.

On August 28 Ms Cowe is organising a sponsored walk of 500 miles across the old Forth Road Bridge, starting at 11am on the south side.

Already 25 colleagues, from 14 branches, as far north as St Andrews and south to Galashiels, have pledged to walk and they hope friends and family will join.

Mr Maciver said: “The Old Forth Road bridge pedestrian path is 1.5 miles across and everyone will have to do at least eight laps of three miles to make the distance.

“Nationwide will match fund each member of staff’s contribution up to a maximum of £100 per person.”

Ms Cowe added: “We are hoping to get up to £1,500.

“I will be walking with my husband Calum and daughters Sophie, 3 and Emily, 1.

“I want to thank everybody at Nationwide Building Society, colleagues and members.”