A MAN is to walk one of the most famous trails in the world to raise cash for a sick three-year-old girl he had never met.

Tim Ward, of Bartley Road, Benfleet, is flying to Peru today to walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and raise more than £7,000 for the charity Rays of Sunshine.

The charity, which grants wishes to sick children, will help three-year-old leukemia victim Maddison Webb, of Alcotes, Basildon, who is the daughter of Tim’s long-lost school friend, Steph Webb.

He wanted to do something big for his 40th birthday. But instead of having a big birthday bash, he decided to take the challenge for a special cause.

It wasn’t until he saw his old school friend Steph Webb’s Facebook status, revealing the devastating news of Maddison’s diagnosis with a rare leaukaemia and her impending chemotherapy, that he knew who he wanted to help.

Despite never seeing Steph since they left the Deane’s School in 1989, or meeting Maddison, Tim has raised more than £7,000 for wish making charity Rays of Sunshine, which will grant a surprise trip for Maddison when she is older.

The Echo reunitedthepair and Tim met Maddison for the first time.

Tim said: “I have quite a lucky life and when I saw that Maddison was ill, I didn’t know what to do.

“She’s going through it at the moment and I wanted to help.

“I am quite nervous, but excited.”

The trek will take nine days and see Tim walk up steep mountains and treacherous rocky trails.

Worried that it sounded like he was asking friends and family to donate to a holiday, Tim’s wife decided to pay £2,000 towards the trip as a birthday present.

Steph, 40, of Alcotes, said: “It’s amazing. Most people for their 40th birthday would go out and get drunk.

“To go that long without speaking, then for him to do something for us, it just proves that there are people who have hearts of gold and Tim is one of them.

“I thank everyone for their donations. For some people who benefit from Rays of Sunshine it is one of the last things they get to do.”

To donate to the cause visit justgiving.com/tim-ward73