SEVEN-year-old Isaac White brought the spirit of Christmas to a special fundraising event for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in Oxford.

Isaac, pictured far right, was chosen to light the first candle for an evening of music and readings at Christ Church Cathedral on Tuesday night.

Readings were given by famous faces from television and cinema including Vicar of Dibley star James Fleet and Dominic West, of the American hit drama The Wire.

But it was the youngster from Marston who got the evening off to a magical and emotional start.

Isaac was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the summer of 2008, when there were concerns over his mobility and language development.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an incurable, rare and life-limiting muscle-wasting condition, affecting about 1,500 young people in the UK.

Isaac, of Derwent Avenue, is a pupil at St Nicholas Primary School, Marston.

His mother Katherine said: “Isaac celebrated his seventh birthday on Sunday and this was a wonderful night for both of us.

“The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign provided us with invaluable practical and emotional support when we were at our lowest.

“With adequate funding there is now a realistic hope of seeing an effective treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy within five years.

“Research is advancing at pace and we are just deeply grateful to everyone who supported the evening.”

It is hoped that the money raised could exceed last year’s total of £10,000.

It was the third year that the Campaign held one of its Spirit of Christmas events at Christ Church. Others are held in London and Chester Cathedral.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is the leading UK charity focusing on muscle disease and has been involved in research for more than 50 years.

Readings were also given by actors Peter Egan Geraldine James,Caroline Langrishe and Helen Atkinson Wood.