A RYDE church will be lit up purple this Saturday to raise awareness for a rare genetic disorder.

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), named after the Dutch paediatrician who discovered it, affects approximately 1 in 20,000 people.

People with the syndrome experience a range of physical, cognitive and medical challenges, ranging from mild to severe.

Jackie Nimmo asked the church committee at All Saint's Ryde to light up the church for CdLS awareness day on May 11.

Her four-year-old grandson, Arthur, was diagnosed with CdLS when he was 18 months old.

She said: "At one point we didn't know if he would be able to talk — so my daughter and her husband learnt Makaton to communicate with him.

"He is such a lovely boy — he has a younger brother who he absolutely adores."

Jackie thanked the church warden, Roi Milburn, and the rest of the committee for agreeing to light up the church.

She said: "Not many people know about the disease — we want to raise awareness."