A FINANCIAL advisor has pledged to donate £10 from every will he writes to the hospice that provides respite care for his severely disabled daughter.

Vicky Shand, 14, suffers from Leigh’s Syndrome – a rare, inherited disorder that affects the central nervous system, causing progressive degeneration of motor functions. She uses a wheelchair and has difficulty swallowing and speaking.

Her father, Malcolm, who lives in Tollerton and runs York-based Will Assist Estate Planning and Mortgage Services, said Vicky was unlikely to live beyond the age of 30.

Mr Shand said: “The medical profession say some cases have survived into their 30s – but that’s the best-case scenario. That was a big hammer blow when we found out. It came as an horrendous shock. We just take it day by day, week by week, month by month. You can’t do anything else. She’s a little fighter, she really is. She’s made of strong stuff and she’s bubbly, bright and happy.”

Mr Shand, 41, said Vicky spent about three weekends a year at Martin House Hospice, in Boston Spa, near Tadcaster.

He said: “It gives my ex-wife and Vicky’s stepdad a break from caring for her, and it’s also a holiday for Vicky. The staff at the hospice are absolutely fantastic and we can leave Vicky there without any concerns at all.”

Mr Shand said he wanted to thank the hospice for the care the staff had provided for his daughter by donating £10 from every will he wrote at work.

He said: “The hospice carries out unbelievable work, as I have witnessed at close quarters.

“It relies almost entirely on donations and fundraising to raise more than £4 million a year to provide vital care and support for so many local children and their families.

“The very least I can do is my small bit to help fund the service which is why I will be donating £10 every time I write a will.”

To contact Mr Shand, phone 01904 566579.