MORE than £15,000 has been raised for a specialist sensory room for a baby with a rare brain condition.

One-year-old Rebecca Sands, of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton was diagnosed with lissencephaly, which means smooth brain, when she was ten weeks old.

The condition is so rare there are only a handful of cases in the world, and doctors at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, had to seek the help of a specialist in Newcastle.

It means Rebecca has severe development problems, and needs daily physiotherapy to help with head control, sitting and rolling. She is also registered blind.

Her parents, Michael and Gemma Sands, have been told it is unlikely she will live past her second birthday.

However, it was Rebecca’s sister, Charlotte, five, who helped her parents come to terms with the news.

Rebecca needed a sensory room to help with her development.

So Charlotte decided to carry out a sponsored swim to raise money for the equipment.

Before long, fundraising events by family and friends had helped them surpass a £10,000 target in less than six months.

“It is unbelievable,” Mrs Sands said.

“We had never even thought about fundraising until Charlotte said she wanted to do a swim.

“We have had complete strangers hand us cheques for Rebecca when we have been out. Everyone has been so supportive. We have fantastic friends and family. We have raised £15,000 since July.”

The garage has been converted into the sensory room and contains a range of specialist equipment and toys, including specialist lighting, a bubble tube, projector and disco ball.

Mrs Sands said: “Rebecca was diagnosed just after last Christmas.

“We don’t know what will happen in the future. We have been told to live each day as it comes.

“The sensory room makes a huge difference. We now want to put some lighting in her bedroom.”

Mr Sands, who has given up work to look after Rebecca full time, said: “We plan to keep fundraising to give her as much help to develop as we can.”

A quiz night will be held in The Beckfields pub, Beckfields Avenue, Ingleby Barwick, next Saturday. All are welcome.

To make a donation, email micksands@msn.com or visit rebeccasands.co.uk