A SEVERELY disabled five-year-old boy is off to Florida to swim with dolphins after a successful £10,700 appeal.

Luke Hill, of Shadsworth, Blackburn, cannot walk or talk because of brain damage sustained when his skull was fractured as a baby.

But his family hope the new dolphin therapy, which has helped other brain-damaged children, will stimulate him to begin communicating.

Luke will fly to America with parents Lisa and Nigel, and sisters Emma and baby Misty Anne later this month for 17 days at the Florida clinic. Lisa said: "I can't wait to see his reaction when he sees the dolphins. We've got our fingers crossed, the rest is up to Luke.

"So many people have helped raise the money, from toddlers giving their spending money to businessmen making anonymous donations.

"Staff at Weltonhurst Ltd and Brookhouse Patterns have been very generous and all the working men's clubs have helped. We can't thank them enough."

The family are planning a thank-you party for everyone involved in the campaign when they return.

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