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Terminally ill son to take last bike trip with family

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Mark Hartley and his son Jamie
Image caption,

Jamie Hartley's father, Mark, says his son only has a short time left

A father who asked for a sidecar so he could take his dying son out for one last motorbike ride has had an overwhelming response.

Mark Hartley's son, Jamie, has been given just months to live.

The 22-year-old and his brother Kyle both have Juvenile Huntington's Disease.

Mr Hartley said Jamie's condition had accelerated over the past month "so essentially Jamie's got not a great deal of time left with us".

The family, from Blyth, are bike enthusiasts so he posted the request for a sidecar on Facebook to a few dozen friends.

"I put my phone down and about two hours later I picked it back up again and there was 400 messages," Mr Hartley said.

A ride involving hundreds of bikers is planned for Sunday.

Image source, Family photograph
Image caption,

Kyle and Jamie Hartley both have the degenerative neurological disorder

is an uncommon form of the condition, causing stiffness, tremor or muscle twitching, seizures and difficulty speaking.

It is terminal but the timescale can vary.