A pioneering drug treatment is helping to improve life for a battling youngster with brittle bone disease.

Hayley Finch, from Shipley, is confined to a wheelchair much of the time, can be left with broken bones by a simple knock or fall, and has suffered more than 150 fractures since she was born.

But now the ten-year-old has become one of the first children in Britain to receive regular doses of Pamidronate - a drug which strengthens the bones, reduces fractures and eases pain - administered via a drip at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Hayley's father, Paul, 32, said: "So far she's had three lots of treatment and will be having the next in May.

"There's been a definite improvement and we're very pleased that it seems to be working. It's going very well and her bones seem to be strengthening a bit since she went on the drugs.

"The doctors are saying the density of her bones has gone from that of an average eight-month-old to that of a three-year-old so it seems to be making a big difference.

"It's not a cure but it will increase the density and strength of her bones and hopefully reduce the number of fractures."

He added: "She seems a lot more confident in herself. She used to hobble a bit but now it's much more of a proper walk and we keep having to tell her to sit down because she's walking around so much. Any improvement is a bonus and if it helps her to be a bit more mobile then having the treatment is well worth it.

"Hayley's very happy with it - she gets a bit frustrated when she's on the drip because she's more or less bed bound for three days at a time but she knows what it's doing and can feel the benefits herself.''

Mum Carol added: "Her bone density's increased by about 50 per cent. We're thrilled and every time they tell us it's gone up it's like Christmas. She's also grown a lot since going on to the drugs and has gone up from aged four clothes to five/six which she's really pleased about.''

Professor Nick Bishop, the Professor of Paediatric Bone Disease at the Sheffield hospital who is pioneering the use of the drug for children, said: "These drugs are a major advance in the treatment of youngsters with osteoporosis - they slow down the rate at which bone is eaten away and may help rebuild the bone.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.