A TRIO of professional golfers have signed up for a competition to raise money for a young girl who was diagnosed with a rare illness last year.

Poppy Smith has spent the last 16 weeks in intensive care at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

The youngster, from Gullane, suffered a severe reaction to a cold-like virus and has been left unable to speak having been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, a rare condition which affects the nervous system.

READ MORE: Community rallies round Poppy

However, the community has rallied behind the youngster, who attends the village’s primary school, with a number of fundraisers.

More than £63,500 has been raised by kind-hearted members of the public, with one of the latest events involving Andrew Coltart, Scott Drummond and John E Morgan.

The trio have confirmed they will take part in the Team Poppy Appeal Golf Day, which is held at North Berwick West Links at the beginning of April.

Before that, a six-hour spin class is being held on Saturday at Gullane Gym from 10am to 4pm, with a number of family members and friends lacing up their walking boots to climb Snowdon, in Wales, on Sunday.

Poppy’s mum, Laura, said: “As a family we have been completely overwhelmed by the generosity of family, friends and strangers in our local community and beyond to the fundraising appeal for Poppy.

“We appreciate every donation and kind message we receive and would like to thank every single person from the bottom of our hearts.

“The last few months have been an incredible emotional rollercoaster and it has really helped us during the darkest of moments to know we have such incredible support.”

The family has been in touch with other families in the USA already affected by the condition.

Laura told the Courier they knew progress would be “very slow and gradual”.

She added: “To get Poppy home we will need extensive home adaptations and unless there is an improvement in her ability to breath for herself, she will likely need 24 hour nursing care.

“Having had to give up my job to be Poppy’s carer it is a great relief to us all that the money raised we will be able to pay for those extras which will help optimise Poppy’s rehab, treatment and quality of life in the years to come.

“Poppy’s physio and occupational therapists have already suggested her rehab would be helped by a specialised wheelchair, a supportive trike, and a hydrotherapy pool at home, all of which are within our reach thanks to the generosity of Team Poppy supporters.”

Laura said it would be “many months” before Poppy would be able to leave hospital and head home.

Similarly, they were unsure what her disabilities would be when she returned home.

Laura, who has given up her job working in mental health research to be Poppy’s carer, added: “She is still weak throughout and unable to lift her right arm but has been making progress on moving her left arm and with the help of the fantastic intensive care team Poppy is briefly standing and walking with a lot of support.

“Unfortunately the progress with her breathing and swallowing muscles has been very much slower.

“Poppy still requires breathing support from the ventilator 24 hours a day.

“She receives food, water and medicines via a nasogastric tube and countless infections leave her weak and sore much of the time.

“Poppy’s brain is completely unaffected, though, and she continues to grow and develop.

“She has even moved up four reading levels.

“Thanks to the fantastic fundraising of everyone Poppy now has her own iPad, which allows her to communicate, as our normally chatty girl is not yet able to speak.

“She also can use it to play games like a normal six-year-old, which helps offer her some relief as she has to bravely endure painful tests and procedures on a daily basis.

“We are hopeful that in time she will be able to use her iPad to play games online with her friends from school that she is missing so much.”

To support Poppy, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/teampoppy or to find out more about the golf day visit judebradyfoundation.co.uk/event/team-poppy-appeal-golf-day