AN ASTONISHING £30,000 has been raised in just over a month to make sure a six-year-old girl can be given a life-changing operation.

Just days are left to raise the final £2,000 for cerebral palsy sufferer Skye Cowan after hundreds of Daily Echo readers dipped into their pockets to donate to the Help Fund Skye appeal.

The money will ensure that the youngster can go to America for surgery in October, and with days to go, the little girl’s desperate family are calling on everyone to give just £1 to the campaign.

Skye had also been backed by a celebrity – she has met QPR boss and Poole resident Harry Redknapp twice.

Dad Steve said: “It has just been the most amazing thing.

“People have been unbelievably generous – it’s amazing. We’re almost there, and we just need every penny at this point.”

The Parkstone family have been given a deadline of August 26 to secure all the money needed ahead of the treatment, which reaches around £41,000, not including any post-operative care.

But after the family appealed for help, kind-hearted readers have helped to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the schoolgirl.

Steve said: “Even since Friday, people have raised the total a huge amount. We’ve had an extra £2,000 just from people going online and putting money into the Justgiving account or into our banks. Then we’ve had the cheques people have been sending in as well. It’s fantastic.”

The family suffered a slight set back when children’s charity Tree of Hope, which helps the families of sick children in the UK, told them the money needed to be in place by Bank Holiday Monday, rather than the following Wednesday.

Steve said: “We’d understood it was August 28, but now that’s been changed to August 26, so we’re just doing everything we can to make sure the money is in the bank.”

Anyone wishing to donate can text SKYE52£1 to 70070 to give £1 to the appeal.

Cheques made out to ‘Help Fund Skye’ can also be sent to the Daily Echo offices in Bournemouth.