A BREAKTHROUGH may be looming in the fight against a condition which killed a Warlingham baby.
Lily Merritt was just eight months old when she died in 2007 from mitochondrial disease, a rare and fatal cell abnormality.
But the genetic condition will hopefully be stamped out if MPs agree to legalise a pioneering technique.
Mitochondria are structures within cells which create energy.
The disease is passed from mother to child through faults in the mitochondrial DNA.
The new technique involves transferring DNA from a patient's egg containing faulty mitochondria into a donor egg containing healthy mitochondria, during IVF. This would enable the birth of a healthy child.
A date for a parliamentary vote is expected to be announced by the Department of Health this spring. If the technique gets the go-ahead, it would make the UK the first country in the world to give patients the option of using this groundbreaking treatment.
Lily's mother Liz said: "This is fantastic news. It offers hope to future generations. This is not a cure but a form of prevention for families facing a horrible and scary situation, not knowing if they might lose their child."
The Lily Foundation was founded in Lily Merritt's memory to fund research into the condition and to support families.
Former EastEnders actress Lucy Speed ran the London Marathon six years ago to support the Lily Foundation. She is now the charity's patron.
Ms Speed, who was a classmate of Liz's at Warlingham School, said: "It was such a shock when doctors said Liz's baby had this disease.
"The family have since been an inspiration, raising lots of money into research to try and find a cure. There is absolutely no public funding available into this condition."
Other celebrities who have supported the charity include former West Ham manager Alan Curbishley, current Wales manager Chris Coleman, TV comedian Kevin Day and Match of the Day commentator Jonathan Pearce, who was Lily's uncle.
