A little girl with a severe facial disfigurement is facing a brighter future thanks to an incredible response to an appeal by The Northern Echo.

Hannah Maxwell-Jones, from Middlesbrough, suffers from a rare compound haemangioma – or tumour of the blood vessels – which has steadily spread across her face.

After detailed inquiries, her parents decided her best chance of a normal life was to take her to America for surgery by a world expert in birthmarks, Professor Milton Waner.

Prof. Waner has agreed to carry out five operations free of charge but the family needed to raise £20,000 to cover air fares and accommodation costs.

The Northern Echo agreed to back the appeal and within a week the appeal fund stands at more than £30,000.

Advertising staff, led by Beryl Bell, raised £2,000 by organising a special “Help Hannah Face The Future” feature and that was followed by a “Ring In For Hannah” day, with staff manning special hotlines for readers to ring in with pledges.

More than £5,000 had been pledged by readers within the first hour and by the end of the day more than £14,000 had been donated. With another £15,000 being accrued in a special appeal account at branches of Barclays Bank, the target was easily surpassed.

Hannah, who was due to celebrate her second birthday the following day, visited The Northern Echo’s Darlington head office on the morning of the appeal day to meet the promotions staff manning the hotlines and the advertising staff who had done so well to raise £2,000.

A special visit by Santa was arranged and Hannah was presented with a new friend – giant cuddly Dumbo.

Jane O’Byrne, promotions manager, who led the telephone team of Clare Reeder, Hylton Marrs and Donna Wilson, said: “The response was incredible – people were in tears as they rang in with their donations. The staff manning the phones were also caught up in the emotion.”

Northern Echo editor Peter Barron said: “It is the most astonishing public response to an appeal I’ve ever seen. Now we hope the years ahead for Hannah will be easier to bear.”

The Middlesbrough Evening Gazette has also been running stories about Hannah’s appeal and has received many donations from its readers to add to the impressive total

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