AN 11-year-old Romanian girl who is dying of Aids will have her last wishes granted, thanks to generous Teessiders.

Local charity Convoy Aid has teamed up with DHL, at Preston Farm Business Park, near Stockton, to take a 3ft doll to the Romanian village of Bivolari, the home of Marina Lenta.

They organised the trip, which departed yesterday, after discovering that having a doll to talk to was one of the youngster's dreams.

Rod Jones, who runs Convoy Aid, said: "People in the village are still ignorant about Aids and she is not even allowed to go to the local school.

"She's got very few friends and she's a lonely little girl. She wanted a doll to replace the friends she hasn't got."

Like many other poor Romanian children, Marina is sponsored by a Teesside family through Convoy Aid. Mr Jones said he was appalled to discover she had contracted Aids following hospital treatment for hepatitis.

"She went into hospital with hepatitis and came out with a death sentence," he said.

The charity is sending out a volunteer to take Marina on a holiday to the coastal town of Constanta, after she expressed a wish to see the ocean before she dies.