A COUPLE have set up a charity after their two children were diagnosed with a rare medical condition.

Amanda and David Cordell, from Thorpe Bay, want to raise awareness and offer support through FABED, Families Affected By Eosinophilic Disorders.

Mrs Cordell started an online support forum six years ago and, with the help of a couple from Yorkshire, who also have children affected by the condition, they have now registered FABED as a charity.

Samuel, eight, and sister Heather, four, have a severe variety of the condition, which means their bodies are intolerant to all foods and medication taken orally.

Mrs Cordell said: “Samuel was born without complication, but was instantly very distressed after being fed dairy foods, and after that he would not feed.

“Within a month he was covered in eczema which got infected and he was suffering with sickness and diarrhoea.”

Treatments had no affect and Samuel was in and out of Southend Hospital for seven months before the condition was finally diagnosed.

The children are also sensitive to most chemicals, which means the family has to be selective about what cleaning products are used in the home.

Mrs Cordell, 37, said: “The condition is little-known in the UK.

“This has inspired the charity which is aimed at raising awareness and offering support.”

Hairdressers from Strangeways salon, Leigh, are preparing for 250-mile cycle ride from Strangeways Prison, Manchester, to the salon in Elm Road.

David Long, 38, manager of Strangeways salon, said: “Amanda has been a client for a long time.

“The condition Samuel and Heather have is complicated, but I know it can change from day to day and is difficult to live with.

“We thought the ride would help raise awareness of the charity as well as help raise funds.”

The ride, which Mr Cordell, 42, is also taking part in, is from August 7 to 9.

To sponsor them, visit www.

justgiving.com/strangeways-cycling Mrs Cordell has also arranged the charity’s first family fun day for sufferers and their families to meet and gain support.

It will be in Thorpe Bay on Saturday, August 27.

For more details, visit www.fabed.co.uk