New Mills ten-year-old runs 100K in a month to raise funds for Autism Dogs Charity

Thornsett Primary School pupil Delta Kelsall was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder earlier this year, leading her to learn about the work of the Autism Dogs Charity based near Congleton.

Mum Natalie Kelsall, 42, said: “We were expecting the diagnosis but Delta had learned to mask her behaviour more in school by imitating other people. When we came out of lockdown, it seemed like she’d lost that ability and school picked it up quickly from there.

“After it was confirmed, Delta got a little obsessed with wanting a support dog. There’s a lot of research that shows they are good for keeping people calm when their ASD might cause a meltdown.”

Natalie added: “We found the waiting lists were all shut, so we explained that the charities needed money for the special training the dogs go through. That’s when she decided she was going to raise some. She said it might not guarantee she would get a dog, but it could help someone else.

“Delta came up with the idea of 100 kilometres, and I’m not sure she realised how far it was. I was worried she was setting herself up to fail, but she was very convinced.”

For 22 days during October, Delta would take to the treadmill to chip away at the distance, going as far as 11km on the final leg.

Natalie said: “She’s not usually enthusiastic about PE, or even going for a walk, so some days were hard. She would get a stitch and scream about how much she hated it. Whenever I told her we could give people’s donations back to them, she decided to keep pushing through. Her determination surprised me.

“We set up a Facebook page for it and would read people’s comments to her while she ran, and it helped to spur her on. Her big sister, Tiara, has been really encouraging. When Delta crossed the 100km line she was so thrilled, and she’s made me very proud. I’ve never her seen her do anything like this before.”

To add to Delta’s fundraiser, see https://bit.ly/3thwmdu. To learn more about the charity’s work, see www.autismdogs.co.uk.

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