A YOUNG mother whose baby boy lost his battle with an incurable genetic condition has launched her own dance school in his memory.

Dancer Shannon Wright has set up her own business which will help raise funds to find a cure for the condition which claimed her son’s life.

Her son Jaiden died last year aged just eight months after being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy.

The 24-year-old, from Peterlee, has now decided to fulfil her long-held ambition to open a dance school, to be named Jaiden’s Dancing Stars, which will raise money for the SMA Trust.

Miss Wright, who has been dancing since the age of three and has performed across the world, said she had been planning to go into business once her son as older.

However, Jaiden was disagnosed with Type One SMA when just a few months old and died in September.

She said: "At first I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was such a hard time for us all and I felt numb.

"But then I thought, what better way to keep Jaiden’s memory alive than to pursue my dream of starting the dance school".

She added: "Jaiden’s Dancing Stars is for everyone and for me it is the perfect way of making a lasting tribute to my son and continue fundraising for the SMA Trust to help them find a cure.

"This is for my baby boy and my ultimate goal is to make him proud.

"I want to help find a cure so that no other baby has to struggle fighting the illness and no parents have to suffer the heartache that we are all still suffering".

The school, on Peterlee’s North West Industrial Estate, and offers dance and fitness classes in everything from ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary to street dancing.