A father and his friend will cycle from the London Eye to Barcelona to raise money for a children’s intensive care unit that saved his daughter’s life.

Nick Cornwell 34, from Watford, and Andrew Russell, 45, from Hemel Hempstead, have called their 1000 mile journey ‘Tour De Brooke’ in honour of Mr Cornwell’s daughter, Brooke Cornwell, 10, who suffers with a rare bone marrow disorder called Diamond Blackfan Anaemia.

Last year, Brooke was admitted to the Children of St Mary's Intensive Care (COSMIC) paediatric intensive care unit at St Mary’s Hospital and was placed on life support after contracting a severe infection. After weeks her condition gradually improved and she was well enough to go home.

Amber Cornwell, Brookes mother, said: “We couldn’t be prouder of them both giving up their weekends to train and all for COSMIC, as a family we owe them everything. Without them Brooke wouldn’t be with us today.”

There are only 125 people in the UK with Brooke’s illness. The disorder means her bone marrow cannot produce enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around her body.

The pair are aiming to raise £6,000 for the work of COSMIC paediatric intensive care unit and the Children’s Intensive Care Unit at St Mary’s Hospital. Brooke has been in and out of hospital since she was born and has endured hours of chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and requires blood transfusions every three weeks to keep her alive.

Mr Cornwell and Mr Russell’s cycle will take them through Paris and Toulouse and over the Pyrenees Mountains and will finish in Barcelona in just 10 days.

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tourdebrooke