A Malvern school girl plans to help other children affected by flat head syndrome after seeing how it affects her younger siblings.

Bethany Mace's brother and sister - six-month-old twins Rebecca and Joseph - must wear helmets for 23 hours a day to help mould their skulls into shape.

The treatment has cost the family thousands of pounds and now Bethany, from Malvern Link, wants to raise money for Headstart4babies to help other youngsters.

Their Mum, Sandra Mace, said: "The twins have got on absolutely amazing with the helmets, they wear them 23 hours a day with two 30-minute breaks morning and night to check their skin is ok and for a nice bath each night.

"It's just so upsetting that this treatment could change a child's whole life, and so simply but the NHS don't seem to support it.

"The charity we are raising money for helps families that need the helmets, but are not in a financial situation to be able to start treatment.

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"We had to find £4,500 for treatment for our twins, and not everyone is able to find this sort of money and so this charity helps people with the deposit for the helmets, provides support and advice and help families to raise money for both themselves and the charity. 

"The twins started their treatment on May 10 when they were five months old.

"The helmets were measured and then made in Boston, so we had to wait two weeks before we could start treatment.

"Paying and travelling for this treatment has only had a positive effect on our whole family, knowing we are giving our children the best possible start in life is the only thing that matters to us.

"We have had to postpone certain things to pay for the helmets but the treatment needed to happen asap, so other things will have to just wait."

Mrs Mace said there were three types of flat head syndrome: Plagiocephaly, Brachycephaly, Scaphycephaly. 

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She added: "Both Rebecca and Joseph were in the severe range and so started treatment as soon as possible, we had gone to our doctors for help but they would only offer physio as Rebecca had a stiff neck and couldn't turn left very well and we were told that the twins head shape may improve by the time they were two years old.

"It was a risk that we weren't willing to take, as research shows there could be long-term issues relating to flat head syndrome."

Bethany Mace plans to cycle 40 miles from Birmingham to Malvern on Thursday, August 14 to raise money for Headstart4babies.

If you would like to donate, go to thefamily's Go Fund Me page.