A HAPPY-GO-lucky 11-year-old from Thornbury who was born with a cleft lip and palate and has undergone four painful operations will be joining the Oldbury Fun Run to raise awareness of her condition.

In her short life, Marney Charles has had more prejudice to contend with and spent more time in hospital than anyone should ever have to.

She may have been bullied and judged on her appearance, but the smiley little girl has never let anything or anybody bring her down.

And she is about to prove it once again when she takes on the challenge of completing the Fun Run on Sunday, June 17 in aid of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA), the charity which has supported her and her family through thick and thin.

So far, things are going smoothly for the little fighter who has already far exceeded her £100 sponsorship target, thanks to donations from all her teachers.

Marney told the Gazette she was looking forward to the race.

"CLAPA have helped me a lot so I want to do something in return for them," she said.

The Gillingstool pupil was born with bilateral cleft lip and palate, which means she had no lip, no gums under her nostrils and no palate. She underwent reparative lip surgery when she was just three months old. By the time she was six months, Marney was back in hospital for a second operation to her palate. In the last year and half she has also had two bone graft procedures.

Her mother Patricia Toogood, who will be running alongside her next month, said she was heartbroken at the sight of her child’s bruised and swollen face after each operation.

"She is so brave," she said. "She has been through a lot in her little life. She has been bullied. A lot of children stop and stare on the street."

Unfortunately, Marney still has some way to go on the operation table. In three years' time she will need to get dental work done. Her jaw will also have to be operated on.

Patricia added: "Generally she is quite happy and confident about her appearance. She gets the odd day where she says that somebody looked at her funny and I tell her ‘hold your head high and be proud of you are’." And Marney and her mother will not rest until they have succesfully redressed people’s ignorance and quashed their prejudices. When she was only seven, the strong-willed little girl gave a detailed presentation on her condition to all her schoolmates during assembly, even showing them her baby pictures.

To sponsor Marney go on www.justgiving.com/Marney-Charles/donate