A SOUTHAMPTON mum is holding a charity ball to help fight muscular dystrophy, after her daughter was born with the condition.

Sian Rixon helped to set up the Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy Fight Fund after her daughter, Emmie, was ‘born floppy’ in 2011.

Several days and a lot of tests later, Emmie was diagnosed with congenital myotonic dystrophy (CMMD) and later Sian found out it was she who had unknowingly passed the condition on to Emmie genetically.

The first 12 months of Emmie’s life were crucial, as a quarter of affected children do not survive their first year.

The condition progressively affects the muscular, respiratory and cardiovascular systems leaving Emmie with a complex range of symptoms and living with daily pain.

Emmie has global delay, which affects her speech, walking, eye sight and she struggles at school.

But Sian is keen to emphasise that Emmie is a loving, indepen-dent, determined girl who loves nothing more than wiggling her bottom as she dances and swimming at her local leisure centre.

The charity ball will take place on October 28 at the Holiday Inn Fareham-Solent, and will have a Casino Royale theme.

Sian hopes the ball will raise as much money as possible for the Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy Fight Fund and Muscular Dystrophy UK. The charity funds research into muscular dystrophy which cause muscles to weaken and waste over time, leading to increasingly severe disability.

Muscle-wasting conditions currently affect 70,000 people in the UK.

The ball will feature casino tables, a three course dinner, a raffle and dancing. Black tie dress code is compulsory. For more information or to book tickets, contact Sian Rixon on 07876 796094 or sianrixon@sky.com.