Most eight-year-old boys spend their days learning about maths and science at school, and playing football, Pokemon and videogames. 

But for Archie Kelly, who lives with his family in Gorleston, it also involves regular visits to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London.

A year and a half ago, Archie was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, which affects one in 250,000 people, called Parry-Romberg syndrome.

The condition means that the tissues underneath the skin on one side of the face gradually shrink and degenerate.

Archie Kelly with his mum Kelly Brown. Archie Kelly with his mum Kelly Brown. (Image: Supplied)

Since the diagnosis, he has been taking steroid tablets every day, methotrexate injections once a week and fortnightly blood tests.

There is no cure and no way to reverse any damage that has been done on the right side of Archie's face.

His brother Kiall Kelly, 18, said: "He has had a rough year with all the tests and treatments for a little boy his age.

"It’s hard to try and explain to him what is happening when we don’t really understand it ourselves.

"He’s been so brave through all this so far but there is still a very long road ahead for him."

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Kiall and Archie Kelly from Gorleston. Kiall and Archie Kelly from Gorleston. (Image: Supplied)

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Archie goes to Peterhouse Primary school in Gorleston but has had to miss days to attend hospital appointments. 

"He hasn't been able to stay in school. He's constantly in and out of hospital for days on end. For a young person, it's quite traumatising, the stuff he has to go through," Kiall said.

Kiall is now planning to cycle 850 miles to raise awareness about the disease, and money for the charity Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK

"As his big brother I thought the only thing I could do was to raise people's awareness," he said.

Starting on September 2, he will cycle from London to Paris, then to the Netherlands, before taking a ferry to Essex and returning on his bike to Gorleston.

To donate, visit Kiall's Go Fund Me page at www.gofundme.com/f/cycling-for-awareness.