Two teams from Drayton completed a 24-hour dartathon to help fund a life-changing operation for a two-year-old girl.

Eastern Daily Press: Daniel Ralph, of Lakenham, Craig Morsley, Derek Sparks, Dave Turton, Jason Brown, James Upton, Heidi Harvey, James West, Stephen Crowe, Dean Burrage, Dan Daynes, Guy Metcalfe-Hume, Tom Moran, Danny George and Jorge Longman, all from Thorpe Marriott took part in the 24 hour dart-a-ton in The Otter Pub. Abigail NicholsonDaniel Ralph, of Lakenham, Craig Morsley, Derek Sparks, Dave Turton, Jason Brown, James Upton, Heidi Harvey, James West, Stephen Crowe, Dean Burrage, Dan Daynes, Guy Metcalfe-Hume, Tom Moran, Danny George and Jorge Longman, all from Thorpe Marriott took part in the 24 hour dart-a-ton in The Otter Pub. Abigail Nicholson (Image: Archant)

They began the challenge in the early hours of Sunday, December 2 at the Otter Pub, in Drayton, and shot more than 40,000 darts between them.

It was in aid of Harper Sharrocks, a youngster who, after her umbilical cord knotted during birth, was diagnosed with severe hypoglycaemia, hyperinsulinism and cerebral palsy.

It means part of her brain does not form properly, and her parents Steve and Natasha Sharrocks, who live at Lorne Barn Road in Norwich, were told she would most likely never walk unaided.

An operation called selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) could mean that Harper can take her first steps. The operation is not available on the NHS, which prompted her parents to launch an £80,000 fundraising appeal to get to America for treatment.

James West, 25, from Thorpe Marriott, was one of the team leaders at the challenge and said: 'We were thinking about doing a dartathon for fun, then one of our friends said that we should do it for charity.

'We saw Harper's story online and decided we had to do it for her.'

Mrs Sharrocks said: 'This operation means everything to us, it gives her the chance to have her freedom and be able to walk like other children can and it will also put her out of the pain that she is in.

'The most amazing and overwhelming thing about the dartathon was that these people didn't know us or Harper and they decided to raise money for her anyway.'

Those the took part in the dart-a-thon were: Daniel Ralph, of Lakenham, Craig Morsley, Derek Sparks, Dave Turton, Jason Brown, James Upton, Heidi Harvey, James West, Stephen Crowe, Dean Burrage, Dan Daynes, Guy Metcalfe-Hume, Tom Moran, Danny George and Jorge Longman.

Donations for Harper can be made by visiting www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/just4children/harperslittlehelpers