A GROUP of West Fife ladies will strip to their swimsuits and walk the Forth Road Bridge to raise money for their friend’s daughter.

Little Evie Fraser was not expected to live beyond her first birthday after being diagnosed with heterotaxy, an incredibly rare disease which affects just four in a million babies and has left her with two right lungs, a midline liver and no spleen.

Now three years old, the Blairhall youngster is beating all expectations and inspiring her mum’s friends to brave the bridge in nothing more than a bikini!

Victoria Calder, of Comrie, who came up with the idea, said it’s nothing less than what Evie deserves.

“When she was born they found out she had a life-threatening illness,” she said. “With that, each child affected by it has different symptoms, so no-one else has exactly the same difficulties.

“The prognosis wasn’t great and she wasn’t expected to reach her first birthday, but we just celebrated her third!

“To look at her, you wouldn’t think anything was wrong. She’s so happy-go-lucky and she’s just lovely.” Victoria is good friends with Evie’s mum Lyndsey, who is also taking part in the walk, and knows that future medical costs could be expensive.

“Any surgery Evie has in the future has to be the best and it may be that the family have to travel to somewhere like Newcastle to have the best chance of coming through,” she said. “The money we raise will mean that the family can be comfortably relocated for the amount of time they need to spend in the hospital.

“Evie can’t walk great distances so the fund-raising is also for if she needs anything the NHS can’t provide, like a specialised buggy.” Victoria’s inspiration for the walk came from a desire to lose weight and do something different.

“I did the walk in a swimsuit last year,” she said. “I remember I was on the phone to Lyndsey telling her I was going to walk the Forth Road Bridge to raise money for Evie. She said that quite a few people did that but I told her not in a swimsuit and she dropped the phone!

“I’ve lost four stone since and I’m going to do it in my bikini instead of my swimsuit this year. The more you take off, the more people are willing to sponsor you!

“I’ve also managed to rope in people to do it with me. They didn’t need too much persuasion because everyone is captured by Evie and wants to help.

“Even if it’s raining we’ll be suitably dressed and it will be a small price to pay.” Alongside Victoria and Lyndsey will be friends Kat Patterson, Lisa Bell, Midge Beardmore, Julie Millar, Trish Yendall, Clair Donaldson and Genna Low. The self-proclaimed “crazy ladies” will be walking the Forth Road Bridge at 12noon this Saturday, from the north side to the south.

“We’re just doing what anyone would do,” added Victoria. “I’m just a bit more on the eccentric side of life!

“We are all shapes and sizes so it should raise a few eyebrows and hopefully a lot of money to secure Evie’s future care needs are always met.” To help raise funds for Evie, visit www.goget funding.com/too-fat-for-the-forth-take-2.