The kind-hearted owner of a Hitchin dance school is hosting a 12 hour dance-a-thon to raise money for a baby with a rare life-threatening condition to fly to America to meet with experts with a view to a medical trial which could change her life.

Hayley Law, who runs Ambition Dance Academy, is preparing for the fundraiser for the tot Emmy-J Woodfine, who is a cousin of one of her dancers. Jazmine Woodfine, who attends Samuel Whitbread Academy in Shefford.

Emmy-J has a life-limiting illness called Smith-Lemli Opitz syndrome which is a genetic disorder characterised by slow growth after birth relating to an abnormality in cholesterol metabolism.

The money is needed to go towards paying to take her to America to meet expert doctors and scientists in the field. Emmy-J has been accepted onto a trial where she will receive new treatments which she is unable to access in the UK.

By going to America the family is hoping specialists will be able to prolong her life, learn more about the challenges of having a child with SLOS and to have a better understanding of the medication and cholesterol Emmy-J needs to improve everything in her life.

Big-hearted Hayley – who used to be part of the Middlesex Panthers cheerleading squad at the home of cricket, Lords – told the Comet: “Emmy-J is so cute.

“She’s so sweet and adorable. It’s heartbreaking to see a child suffer, so when Jazmine mentioned to me the family needed to raise funds for Emmy-J to receive vital treatment I jumped at the chance to help.

“Friends and family of all my dancers at Ambition Dance are welcome to come down on Saturday when we will be dancing from 6am to 6pm.

“It’s going to be tough and dancers will be able to have breaks but there will be at least one person continuously moving at all times!”

Hayley’s Ambition Dance will hold the event at Purwell Primary School on the outskirts of Hitchin.

Emmy-J’s older sister Dilly-Rose, who is eight, also attends the dance school. She said: “It’s amazing what Hayley and everyone at Ambition Dance are doing to help my little sister.”

Hayley added: “Dilly-Rose is lovely too. We’ve given her a scholarship here. She’s also danced with the team at Wembley Stadium.”

To donate Google Just Giving and search for Emmy-J.