THE mother of a five-year-old girl who passed away from a rare illness will soon arrive in Irvine as part of her ‘Walk of Love’ around the coast of Britain.

Natalia Spencer, 41, from Cheltenham, is walking 6,000 miles around the coast after her daughter Elizabeth passed away at Bristol Children’s Hospital in December last year.

Elizabeth was taken ill in November last year with a relatively common virus which triggered an autoimmune condition known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). This rare condition caused Elizabeth’s body to go into septic shock.

Natalia now hopes to raise £100,000 for The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, in her daughter’s memory.
Her ‘Walk of Love’ started on Valentine’s Day at Durdle Door in Dorset, the last beach she and Elizabeth visited together.

She has since then covered more than 2,000 miles and will reach Irvine on Wednesday, July 20, her 135th day of walking.

Natalia is inviting anyone who would like to walk with her to join her for part of the journey through the area.

She said: “Arriving in Scotland was a huge milestone on my journey.

“Walking as far as 20 miles each day is exhausting but the coastline has been beautiful and I have met so many wonderful people along the way..”
Natalia’s walk has already raised more than £47,000.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/Natalia-Spencer or text ELIF55 and your donation amount to 70070.