ACTOR and comedian Billy Pearce joined a Yeadon grandmother in a charity abseil to help raise £10,000 to send a toddler to America for vital cancer treatment.

Isla-Grace Large has Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer, which requires intensive treatment.

Fewer than 30 children in the UK develop the condition each year.

The 18-month-old’s grandmother, administrator Julie Hiley, and her colleague, Adele Kerrod, who work at CLS Identification in Four Lane Ends, abseiled down the side of the Jurys Inn hotel in Thornton Road on Friday.

The women, who have raised more than £1,100 so far, were joined by Billy after they emailed him to take part.

Mrs Hiley, 47, of Rufford Ridge, Yeadon said: “I’m scared of heights but I had to take that leap of faith when I did the abseil. It’s wasted energy to worry about it. I was thinking about Isla-Grace when I did it. I was doing it for her.

“I had a lot of support at the bottom from workmates, family and friends.

“Isla-Grace has been poorly after her sixth round of chemotherapy and had to go back into hospital but she went back home yesterday.

“It’s a lot to contend with for all of the family. Isla-Grace is so lovely and happy when she is well. It’s so hard when she is not well.

“The support really helps to get you through. We have been overwhelmed. It’s been absolutely amazing.”

Mr Pearce said his heart went out to Isla-Grace and her family.

The 18-month-old, who lives in Bolton Grange, Yeadon, has been having chemotherapy treatment at Leeds General Infirmary since she was diagnosed after the discovery of a lymph node in her neck in October last year.

She has just completed her sixth round and is expected to have a total of 14 treatments before October this year.

Isla-Grace is scheduled to have a major operation on March 23 to remove the main part of her tumour on her neck. She might then need further treatment abroad while undergoing proton therapy in one of only three centres in the world, which are in Florida, Oklahoma and Switzerland.

This week, a group of ten staff at the manufacturing firm have been cycling and running the 482-mile journey from Bradford to Paris from their office on a stationary bike and treadmill. A family fun day, held at LA Fitness in Yeadon earlier this month, raised £5,200 for the appeal.

Any money left over will be split between Yorkshire children’s cancer charity Candlelighters, Macmillan Cancer Support, ClicSargent and The Children’s Cancer Trust.

Visit islagracehospitaladventure.co.uk for more details or to donate.