Tragic tot's dad thanks readers (From Warrington Guardian)

Tragic tot's dad thanks readers

THE father of tragic tot Abbie Tinkley has this week thanked the people of Warrington for their continued kindness following the funeral of his unborn daughter, Lily May.

Nick Tinkley was pictured in the Warrington Guardian last week leaving St Stephen's Church, Orford, carrying the coffin of his baby daughter.

He and partner Lynn Garrity were forced to make the heartbreaking decision to terminate the 17-week pregnancy after discovering Lily May was suffering from the same disease as her sister Abbie - type one Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

This week he said that the support of Warrington Guardian readers had provided much comfort for the family.

He said: "No-one can imagine what Lynn and myself have been through in the past year. Having one daughter fight for her life in hospital while planning the funeral for your other daughter while she's still alive is soul destroying.

"But knowing that people care means so much to us - it has literally given us the strength to carry on. We are forever indebted to them for that."

Warrington Guardian readers managed to raise tens of thousands of pounds last year when the Guardian launched the Abbie Lily Tinkley Fund to help the family secure treatment for Abbie who remains in Alder Hey Hospital.

That money is now being used to fund research into the rare syndrome.

Nick is keen to lobby the Government into looking at new ways of treating the disease with a view to increasing life expectancy for sufferers by setting up a pressure group.

Both Nick and Lynn also hope to set up a UK organisation to provide help and support to other families whose children are diagnosed with the disease.

He said: "They were very dark days when Abbie was first diagnosed because we felt there was no-one we could turn to and so little was known about SMA.

"Now, through our own research we know more but there are still families all over the country who are feeling the same way we did."

sharker@guardiangrp.co.uk