A CHILD’S first day at nursery is always a special occasion, but for Tilly Lockey, yesterday was especially memorable.

The County Durham threeyear- old, who lost her hands and toes to meningitis, joined the other boys and girls for her first day at Beechdale Nursery School, in Consett.

Mother Sarah Lockey, 29, from Highfields, said: “It went extremely well.

“As soon as we got through the doors she ran off to play and made a little friend.

“A few of the kids were asking questions, but as soon as she explained they said ‘okay’ and just carried on.

“She’s been painting and playing on the little computers.

She looked so cute in her little uniform.”

After months of fundraising the family collected Tilly’s first pair of prosthetic hands from specialists in Leeds on Sunday.

Mrs Lockey is delighted for her daughter, who she says can now enjoy more independence.

She said: “They’re fantastic – they’re really, really good.

“She was using them this morning before she went to nursery.

“She got very excited about the fact that she could pick up a cup without using both hands – that’s massive for her.

“She can use them to play with toys when she wants to, but we don’t want to put too much pressure on her.”

The £23,000 hands suction onto Tilly’s limbs and respond to the muscles in her arms, enabling her to colour-in and play with toys.

The family have £150,000 in Tilly’s fund, which will pay for hands until she is nine, but the family needs to raise £750,000 to cater for her until she is 18.

As part of the Give Tilly a Hand appeal, they will auction handprints and autographs by a number of celebrities in the summer.

Prints include Harry Potter author J K Rowling and members of pop band Girls Aloud.

A documentary about Tilly and her family is also due to be shown as part of the Inside Out series, on BBC1, on Wednesday, January 21.

For more information on how to fundraise for Tilly visit tillylockey.co.uk