A PLUCKY youngster with a rare brain disorder has enjoyed the Christmas treat of a lifetime - thanks to the generosity of local people.

Six-year-old Kurt Hines returned home to Foulridge, near Colne, from a dream trip to Disney World, Florida, laden down with an armful of treats.

Kurt suffers from a rare degenerative brain disorder that has baffled some of the leading doctors in Europe who have never seen the disorder before.

Two surgeons will operate next month, though a definite date has not been set.

Surgeons at Manchester Children's Hospital will take muscle from his jaw and the back of his brain and transplant it to replace nerve and blood vessels which have never developed in the left side of his brain.

A massive local fund-raising push raised £5,000 to send Kurt, his sister Karla, 10, mum Lynda and her partner Lee Tennant on a fortnight's break. Money is still coming in but Lynda is waiting for the outcome of the operation before a decision is made on what will happen to it.

"There was no way I was going to have him in hospital over Christmas so we agreed that the operation should be carried out in the New Year," said Lynda.

"He had a great time at Disney World. We went out with one bag and came back with four big bags full of stuff.

"We can't thank people enough for raising the money for this to happen.

"Kurt was a bit poorly during the holiday and there were some days when he was really tired but we made the most of it and had a brilliant time. We hired a car and went everywhere."

When asked what was his favourite part of the holiday Kurt, a pupil at Foulridge Primary School, said: "Everything," although he admitted his Buzz and Woody models from the film Toy Story were special.

Lynda added: "There's no guarantee of success with the operation but we have to try, there's no choice.

"It is a degenerative disorder and Kurt is getting worse. Nobody knows what will happen. He could live until he's 80, who knows?

"They carried out a form of ultra scan on his brain to measure the blood pressure in the left hand side of his brain and it was blank.

"The surgery is a trial but even if there is only a one per cent chance we have got to give it to him."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.