A CHILDREN'S charity is appealing for public support to help a five-year-old girl from Newport walk again.

Felicity was paralysed by a cold virus three years ago after falling ill shortly before Christmas.

Now, her parents are trying to raise £15,000 to pay for the physiotherapy and treatment Felicity needs to move again.

Through their fundraising page on Just4Children, Felicity's parents said: "The run up to Christmas 2015 was an exciting one.

"We had a four-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter who were excited for the usual Christmas fun."

However, shortly before Christmas arrived, Felicity's parents noticed their daughter wasn't moving properly.

On December 7, while Felicity and her brother were decorating the Christmas tree and talking about what Santa would bring them, Felicity's parents noticed their daughter was standing on one leg.

When they asked her why, she simply said: “It hurts”.

That night, despite both children falling asleep as normal, Felicity's parents were woken by a loud bang and a scream.

They darted into Felicity's room.

"She was on the floor," her parents said in their appeal.

"Her right side of her face had dropped.

Felicity was rushed to hospital, and three days later was in a coma and on a life-support machine.

On Christmas Eve, Felicity had a tracheostomy.

On Christmas Day, her parents said, Felicity opened her eyes for a few minutes. She was paralysed.

"We need your support to raise money for Just4Children to help our daughter receive the physiotherapy and treatment she needs to move again," Felicity's parents said.

"She has done amazingly so far. Please help her stand up again."

The family's donation page is available by clicking this link.

Also on today's website:

John Frost School unveils state-of-the-art facilities