A FAMILY has been overwhelmed by the public response to an appeal to help their little girl face the future with confidence.

Yesterday, The Northern Echo revealed that Keith and Allison Maxwell-Jones were striving to raise £20,000 to fund treatment for a severe birthmark which has disfigured their daughter Hannah, who is almost two.

Within hours, kind-hearted people wanting to donate to the Helping Hannah Face the Future fund were arriving at banks, cheque books in hand.

"I can't believe there's been such a response," said Allison.

But she said it was the warmth of people's response - in a world often harshly judgmental of appearances - which had touched them most.

"I'm almost more proud of that than I am of the amount of money people are giving," said Allison, 35, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough.

"We know we are not alone. We know there a lot of people behind us with such a response.

"We expected the odd call or two but the phone's never stopped ringing with people wanting to send cheques, even to put on a sponsored swim."

The couple, who have two other children aged 11 and eight, need to raise the money to fund trips to the US, where a world expert on birthmarks will carry out operations over two years.

l Details of a special Barclays account for Hannah's appeal are not finalised but will be published as soon as they are available.

With the family's agreement, The Northern Echo has also set up a special account to support the appeal.

Cheques - made payable to North of England Newspapers - can be delivered to Northern Echo offices or sent to: Hannah Appeal, c/o Joanne Huggins, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington.

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