A "BUBBLY" five-year-old Kidderminster girl suffering from painful chronic juvenile arthritis will raise awareness of her condition in a star-studded slot on prime time BBC1 tomorrow.
Viewers of the Children In Need marathon will see Victoria Price, of Baldwin Road, Reach for the stars - in the shape of television celebrities and chart-toppers S Club 7 - after her outgoing personality attracted programme-makers.
The Blakedown First School pupil, whose family are chasing expensive new drugs to combat her condition, has filmed a three-minute appearance with the band, whose new song Have You Ever is this year's official Children In Need single.
Victoria's mother Julie is hoping the appearance will raise awareness of the condition, which affects every joint in Victoria's body, and boost her daughter's claim for the expensive new drug Enbrel.
She said: "Victoria has been diagnosed for just over a year and had masses of treatment.
"She is on a high dosage of steroids and I have to inject her every week. She has anti-inflammatory drugs and has had 22 injections under anaesthetic at Birmingham Children's Hospital.
"To look at her at the moment you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with her because of the steroids but Enbrel could really make a difference."
Victoria will appear with two other young sufferers between 7pm and 9pm tomorrow as part of the night of programmes aimed at publicising the mammoth annual appeal, which last year raised £20 million for children's causes.
Mrs Price said she had prepared a bid to Worcestershire Health Authority for Victoria to be treated with Enbrel.
But she knows she could face difficulties, having been told it costs £8,000 a year to treat an adult with the drug, and that to prescribe it for all sufferers would cost more than the entire NHS budget.
She has also been told by staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital that the drug could be "difficult to get hold of".
Victoria's big moment was filmed at studios in London - and she is now a firm fan of S Club 7, whose hits include Reach, Don't Stop Movin', Never Had A Dream Come True and Bring It All Back.
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