Meet the courageous Hartlepool girl with cerebral palsy whose big dream is about to come true

All that Tilly Grant wanted to do was to go out and play with her friends on their bikes.

And now that dream is about to come true for the seven-year-old, who has cerebral palsy. Thanks to Miles For Men, Tilly will have her own bike for the first time ever and she can play out in the streets ‘just like the other girls’.

Today, her mum Samantha Malone thanked the town charity for the ‘amazing’ donation.

The Springwell School pupil can not sit up on her own or walk unaided but she is a ‘bright little girl’ who loves Disney books, car trips with her family, her sensory room at home and singing along to songs (especially her favourite which is Olly Murs Dear Darlin).

Her parents – full-time mum Samantha, 30, and dad Paul Grant, 45, a taxi driver – describe her as ‘mischievous and funny’.

Tilly has a wheelchair, push chair and walking frame to help her getting round but there was one thing she really wanted, said her mum.

"The other kids talk to her but they are on their bikes and Tilly just wants to be a normal little girl. This is going to make a lot of difference to her.”

Tilly had a trial try-out on a bike this week, and mum Samantha said: “She has never been on one before, but she took to it straight away.”

Once adaptions have been made, Tilly’s tailor-made bike – which is expected to cost around £1,500 to £2,000 – will give her the dream she has been waiting for.

It is the second time Miles For Men have helped the youngster as they also fitted a sensory room in the family home.

Samantha added: “The bike will make a huge difference. Tilly has been out in a walking frame and I take her out in a push chair but it is not the same. She sees other kids out on their bikes and she wants to be out with them.”

Samantha had originally planned to raise the money for a bike on social media before Miles For Men stepped in.

The charity’s founder Micky Day said: “Tilly is an amazing young girl who has come so far. Her courage is outstanding.”

Micky praised the people of Hartlepool for their continued support and fundraising which meant that dreams like Tilly’s can come true.

"Without the public’s support, we could not survive. It is because of them and because of the hard work of our team that we can do what we do.”

Miles for Men has donated almost £455,000 to causes since 2012.

It has helped people affected by cancer to have their wedding dreams come true. It has helped children to enjoy special days out and adults to have much-needed support when they have needed it the most.

The Miles for Men story started in 2012 when Micky founded a 5k run in memory of his father Michael Day senior, who died aged 68 after a one-year battle with throat cancer.

That first run attracted 1,000 runners and raised more than £40,000.

There has been no stopping the town charity ever since.

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on Pools and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.