KIND-hearted Thurrock residents have already helped a family living in the borough raise a third of their target to obtain life-changing treatment for a five-year-old girl.

Maria Gabriela Oprea suffers from Spastic Cerebral Palsy which affect her day to day life but her mum, Alina, and family – who live in the Little Thurrock area of Grays - are hopeful that treatment that is available in the Ukraine could massively improve the quality of her life.

It will cost up to £30,000 and a campaign to fund the treatment, which has been supported by local Morrisons stores in Grays and Corringham, has already got a third of the way to the target.

Alina says: "Maria is a brilliant, funny, happy child but she is often in pain and suffers from a life time condition which affects her speech, coordination, intellect, gait and leaves her with weak muscles in both hands and legs.

"Maria need help 24 hours a day in most of her activities. As parents we would like to try everything to improve her quality of life and to help her become a functional, independent girl and woman.

We have discovered that she could have stem cell therapy at Emcell Clinic in Kiev, Ukraine. This treatment will help her improve enormously.

"We have a Facebook page detailing her condition and what we are hoping to achieve and on this page we have received so much support, with people donating, selling, auctioning products and services to help Maria.

"The only thing that we can offer back is our gratitude and the fact that people will be helping a child.

"Morrisons have one of the first companies that offered their help and allowed us to be able to fundraise in their stores. We are so grateful.

"We also have a fundraising page, which can be accessed via this link.