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Official awards for Woodston girl and best friend who sang with Batten Community Children’s Choir to help raise awareness of cousin’s rare childhood disease

Two Peterborough schoolgirls who sang on a Christmas charity single – inspired by a terminally ill cousin – have been officially recognised for hitting last year’s coveted festive Number One spot.

St. Augustine's pupils Abia Kisbee-Brown and Darcy Gilbert joined families that have been affected by a largely unknown terminal condition called Batten disease to record ‘This One’s For The Children.’

The girls were thrilled when their New Kids on The Block cover topped the official physical (non-downloads) singles charts towards the end of December, 2022.

Ten-year-olds Abia Kisbee-Brown (L) and Darcy Gilbert were thrilled to receive their official awards for topping the singles chart with their charity song, ‘This One’s For The Children.’

Now both girls, 10, from Woodston, have received their official awards (pictured) from the Official Charts Company.

Abia’s proud mum, Wanda Kisbee, told the Peterborough Telegraph how her daughter wanted to sing on the single to help her cousin, Ava Hartigan.

“Only one year ago, Ava was a normal 10-year-old,” Wanda explained. “She now can’t walk, talk and has had to have a feeding tube fitted.

“She has seizures all the time and will go blind. She will also develop dementia.”

It is hoped the single - which is a cover of a classic New Kids on the Block song - will help raise awareness of Battens disease, a rare terminal condition which Abia's cousin Ava Hartigan has been diagnosed with.

“She will probably die in the next 2-3 years, if she is lucky to last that long.”

Batten’s is extremely rare, affecting fewer than 200 children and young people in the UK. Children are born healthy but their health deteriorates significantly over time.

Batten Community Children’s Choir was made up of children affected by the disease, their siblings and other family members. Wanda was keen to re-emphasise the choir’s mission: “Batten’s disease is something people don’t hear of, so we are wanting to raise as much awareness around the disease as possible,” she said, adding: “We need to get it out there.”

The single was released by Newcastle record label owner David McGovern, a long standing supporter of the Batten Disease Family Association (BDFA). He said. “This is a really important single and the children from the Batten Community need to be heard.”

All profits from the single have been donated to the Batten Disease Family Association to help raise awareness of the disease.

Tops of the pops: Peterborough school children officially recognised for charity number one single