ELEPHANTS will be racing in Keighley next month to raise cash for poorly children in hospital!

The ‘elephant race’ is the latest event organised by the Amy May Yam Fund run by Keighley resident Amy Knowles.

Amy, 21, has a rare condition which means she cannot eat like other people and must be fed through a tube directly to her heart.

The Craven College student is raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary, which have both treated her for several years.

People have rallied round during the past two years local to organise events for the fund, which supports research into Amy’s rare stomach disorder.

The latest event is the elephant race, which will be held in a similar way to horse-themed race nights, with people betting which animal will win each race from videoed footage.

A spokesman for the fund said everyone involved in the event is giving their time and resources free of charge, including many businesses.

Tickets for the event, at Keighley Catholic Club and organised by Kacey Vickers, sold out in four hours.

She said: “Amy’s friends and family have been amazing in sponsoring and donating money and raffle prizes.

“Amy has been very poorly for a number of years. She is currently having pain control at Martin House Hospice.

“We need as much support as possible. Amy is such a brave person with an amazing family that support her with unbelievable strength."

Amy lives with a neuro-muscular condition so rare that specialists at London’s Great Ormond Street – the UK’s leading children’s hospital – have not even given it a name.

By the age of 17, she had undergone eight major operations, and had to be fed liquid nutrients for 12 hours a day through a tube because the nerves and muscles in her stomach do not work.

Amy set up the fund mainly to pay for stem cell research into the condition by the Great Ormond Street gastro research team in the hope of finding a cure. She has received support from celebrity visitors to the hospital, including singer Jessie J.

Keighley’s three Roman Catholic primary schools – St Anne’s, St Joseph’s and Our Lady of Victories – are holding a Christmas jumper day in aid of the Amy May Yam Fund, while Holy Family School in Keighley is sponsoring the Amy May Yam Fund.

People can donate money by visiting gofundme.com/vj8d4ykk or type Amy May Yam Fund into the Facebook search box for more information.