A DALGETY Bay mum is taking on a half marathon in support of Cerebral Palsy Scotland. Vivian Maeda's two-year-old son, Luca, has a mild form of the lifelong condition and she'll pound the streets of the capital to raise cash and awareness for the charity that's helped them.

She said: “His diagnosis was a shock to me at first and it took a while to digest.

"I’ve come to terms with it and I’m so proud of him.

"He’s such an amazing kid and so clever.

"The only difference is some limitations in his gross motor skills on the right-hand side.

"I really want to raise the awareness of cerebral palsy, and to make sure not to pity, but to embrace those with it.

"They are not abnormal, we need to respect that we are all different, and make sure they feel a part of society.”

Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination.

It's caused by a problem with the brain that develops before, during or soon after birth.

It's estimated that about 30,000 children have cerebral palsy in the UK, with around 40 per cent of them born prematurely.

Vivian said: "My son got the lottery ticket, born at 30 weeks with sepsis, meningitis and brain haemorrhage, which then developed into hydrocephalus which caused pressure in his brain.

"He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he turned two and my world spun faster, I was worried, concerned, the natural response of a protective mother."

There is no cure but Cerebral Palsy Scotland, which runs solely on donations, is the only charity in the country that focuses solely on the condition and aims to improve quality of life for sufferers and their families.

Vivian said: “I felt I was left without much support at the beginning of this journey, but through the sessions that the charity offers I was able to receive so much more information about cerebral palsy and they offered me a lot of advice as well.”

She'll tackle the Scottish Half Marathon in Edinburgh and the September run is far enough away to help the busy mum step up the training and fundraising.

A keen athlete, Vivian knows what it takes to complete a half marathon having previously completed the 13 and a bit miles in lockdown.

But this was no ordinary run as she completed it whilst pushing the pram with her two children inside to raise money for a different charity!

Vivian said: “It was over 20 kilos I was pushing. It wasn’t easy and the first and probably last time I do it! I know what it takes to get there now though.”

You can donate to her Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/vivian-maeda3?fbclid=IwAR0miO6NgXbz7Dj9kuygknO4JLaGrYFDa7JVb00_Qv64N5LnmlQuCKxK-QI