The life of a little girl with brain damage is about to change forever – thanks to the Kent Messenger.

A campaign launched by the newspaper to raise money for five-year-old Elke Wisbey has so far reached £6,682. But if everyone pays the money they have promised it will take the family to their £17,500 target.

The bubbly youngster from Bearsted, near Maidstone, has had problems since birth and will never be able to walk or speak for herself.

Her story has inspired huge acts of generosity from the paper’s readers, all wanting to help Elke’s family buy a specialist piece of equipment to help her communicate – a MyTobii Smartbox which would track Elke’s eye movements and enable her to tell people if she’s tired, hungry or thirsty.

Kent Messenger editor Bob Bounds said he was delighted the paper had been able to help.

“Once again our readers have done us proud. This has shown the importance of working together with the community and the success and happiness that doing that can bring,” he said.

Elke’s mother Glynnis said: “It’s going to change our lives completely.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by people’s support, it takes some people years to raise this kind of money and we’ve done it in a summer.

“If it wasn’t for the KM, the Body Shop, All Wellan Good and Elke’s godparents it wouldn’t have been possible.”