A MOTHER wept tears of joy after �8,000 was raised in just seven weeks to buy her disabled daughter a motorised wheelchair.

Charlotte Bates appealed for help after her daughter Alice, who suffers from quadriplegic cerebral palsy, was assessed for a powered wheelchair. She said the four-year-old was devastated when it was taken away from her because it had given her a “glimpse of a life she had never had”.

But the family’s prayers were answered around four months earlier than they expected as public donations and support poured in from across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

Mrs Bates, from Gedney Road, Long Sutton, said: “It’s amazing, I haven’t stopped smiling. I could never have thought we’d have reached this amount so quickly.

“It’s just been truly incredible and there’s been quite a few tears along the way. Things like this restore your faith in human nature. It’s been a life-changing experience for the whole family and we’ve met some truly lovely people along the way.

“Alice is very excited to know she’s going to get the motorised wheelchair. This will change her little world.”

A family fun day in Long Sutton, organised by boxercise instructor Jack Bishop, raised �1,200 for the cause. Three donations of �1,000 each - from the Lincolnshire Environmental Group, the Lincolshire Free Press and an anonymous donor - further boosted the fund.

Premier Foods (�500), Bakkavor (�1,500), East Elloe Lions Club (�300), Long Sutton’s Slimming World group (�200) and a tombola organised by Tesco staff from Holbeach (�130) were other major contributors to the cause.

Mrs Bates said: “We can never explain just how grateful we are. Every contribution from the large cheques to people stopping us in the street and giving us cash has been mind-blowing.”

Alice’s wheelchair has been ordered and should be with her in time for the summer.