Six-year-old to cycle 100 miles for brain charity

Felix is now undergoing antibiotic treatment for his condition

A six-year-old boy who has a severe neuro-psychiatric condition is cycling 100 miles in July to raise money for the charity which helped him.

Felix, from Shrewsbury, suffers from Pandas, a condition which his mother said changed his personality overnight.

However, the condition, caused by an inflammation to the brain, is easily treatable if diagnosed.

His mother Abigail said: "He went to bed one night fine and when he woke up he was a completely different child."

He lost his appetite and interest in cleaning himself, developed extreme OCD and started having severe rages, she said.

Felix also suffered from a separation anxiety so severe "he won't go to the bathroom on his own," she added.

Pandas, or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, to give the condition its full name, is an inflammation of the brain.

Abigail said her son woke up one morning "a completely different child"

Felix's mother said: "It was a really, really tough time and it was really debilitating as a family."

Pandas UK helped them get help though and he is now expected to recover in one or two years.

Felix has already raised £1,700 for the charity and his mother said he had told her he "would really like to raise a trillion pounds".

Felix started the challenge on Saturday, completing four miles on his bike in Shrewsbury.

He is planning to cycle around the Shropshire, Dorset and French countryside alongside his dad.

"This is a huge step forward for him, given there were times when his condition made simply leaving the house a real struggle," his mother said.

• Listen on BBC Sounds: Felix raises awareness of Pandas condition