Dad to take on cycling challenge for daughter

Quinn's dad, Jamie (R), is taking part in the challenge

A dad and seven friends will cycle from castle to castle, after his daughter was diagnosed with a rare condition.

Quinn, 10, from Prestbury in Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension (IPH) in January.

Her father Jamie will embark on a 55-mile (88.5km) ride around eight castles in Pembrokeshire to raise money for Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK (PHA UK).

"Thankfully, Quinn has responded very well to the medicine, which is great," Jamie said.

"But it's a condition that has no cure, so the medicines are there to treat the symptoms rather than take that away," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

IPH causes high blood pressure in the vessels which carry blood from the heart to the lungs.

Quinn fell ill after Christmas 2023, with her parents noticing she was struggling with day-to-day tasks.

Following her diagnosis in January, she was moved to a hospital in Bristol before being airlifted to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

The route the group will be following passes by Tenby Castle, Pembroke Castle and Wiston Castle

Earlier this year, Quinn had a peripherally inserted central catheter fitted and now wears a backpack with her medication, so it can be administered when she needs it.

Several of Quinn's teachers have been trained on how to administer her medicine.

"They've been fantastic with making her life so much easier even though this is all going on in the background," Jamie said.

Having raised money for charity through bike rides previously, Jamie and his friends decided to do the same for PHA UK.

Quinn's parents said the charity had provided invaluable support and information to the family and were their "gateway to new drugs becoming available".

Family friend Joel Crockford has chosen a route for the group to cycle around.

He said: "I live in Pembroke, so Pembroke Castle is just around the corner and we thought, 'yeah, that's a good starting point'.

"Being in Wales, we're renowned for our castles, so I tried plotting a course around them and saw where it got us."

The group will take on the challenge on 3 August.