A Shipley girl with brittle bones disease has been asked to take part in a pioneering study which could help transform her life and those of other sufferers.

Nine-year-old Hayley Finch, who is confined to a wheelchair most of the time and can be left with broken bones by a simple knock or tumble, has been asked to help trial a drug which strengthens the bones, reduces fractures and eases pain.

The drugs - known as Bisphosphonates - are normally administered by drip, which involves children having to endure regular three-day stays in hospitals.

Now Nick Bishop, Professor of Paediatric Bone Diseases at Sheffield Children's Hospital, wants to trial the drugs in easy-to-take tablet form, which would mean patients could take them at home.

But because doctors need to assess how effective the tablets are Hayley, of Gaisby Mount - who has suffered with the crippling condition since birth - will not know until a year into the trials whether she has been part of a 44-strong group taking the drug or one of 22 youngsters put in a control group and administered a placebo.

The Low Ash First School pupil's mother Carol Finch said: "We're glad she's going to be able to help other children by taking part in the trial but are hoping she'll get the drug itself rather than the dummy tablets.

"We'll have to keep a diary of every ache, pain and fracture and if she's on the dummy tablets she'll carry on getting the breaks.'' She said the family were hoping the drugs would transform Hayley's life, which saw her spending most of last year in a plaster cast as a result of suffering more than half-a-dozen breaks.

She said: "We just want to get her on to a drug that will strengthen the bones and help stop the fractures as soon as possible. She's getting fed up with living her life in a pot and while her friends are out playing with their mates she's stuck at home.''

Professor Bishop, whose work is funded by the Arthritis Research Council, hopes to begin the trials later this year, but said he was still waiting to get the go-ahead from the Medical Research Council.

He said: "The study would last three years and if successful the treatment would continue after that period, supported by the NHS.

"In order to assess how effective something is you have to compare it with something else so we have to have a control group and are asking people participating in the trial to be unselfish.

"But we'll know after a year whether the tablets are effective and at the end of that period those in that group will be offered the active treatment.''

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