The Hartlepool 8-year-old who raised hundreds of pounds to support the fight against Motor Neurone Disease

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Reeva Bo Clayton, eight, baked cakes, raffled her artwork and did sponsored walks in a magnificent bid to raise £400.

And she did it because her friend Sandra Hamilton had lost her husband Brian to MND aged 75.

It spurred Reeva into action and she made posters in time for Poppy Day during lockdown last year and then sold them.

Reeva Bo Clayton who has been hailed as 'an amazing little star' for her fundraising efforts.

Sandra praised her young friend and said: “She is an inspiration. She has tirelessly raised over £400.”

Creative Reeva even designed and made her own T-shirt to wear to show she was supporting the Motor Neurone Disease Association before an official one arrived.

Sandra lost her husband Brian to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) four years ago at the age of 75.

Ever since, she has pledged to raise funds for MND charities and this year held a Ceilidh in the town’s King Oswy Club.

Reeva Bo Clayton who made posters to sell for charity during lockdown.

Reeva could not be at the Ceilidh but the youngster, who goes to St Helen’s Primary School, provided a huge boost for Sandra’s charity drive.

Sandra added: “She has walked miles with me on my bucket collecting during the raft race and carnival. She really has been such an inspiration."

Reeva’s mum, Kirsten Clayton, 41, said: “She just has the biggest heart and she said ‘how else can I help’.

"I am so proud of her. She has a kind heart and she is so motivated. She has never done anything like this before.”

Reeva has every reason to smile after her superb support for charity.

Brian had been a fit and energetic man until he fell ill in Bulgaria in September 2016 and Sandra said they originally thought he had had a stroke.

She previously told the Hartlepool Mail: “It started with his breathing and he wondered if he’d had some sort of industrial disease such as asbestosis. We got it checked out and eventually was diagnosed with MND.”

Motor neurone disease is a condition that affects the brain and nerves and gets worse over time. It can affect the way people breathe, walk, how they talk and how they eat and drink.

For more information about the work of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, go to www.mndassociation.org/