Smiley tot Angelina Mills, who had half her brain disconnected three months ago in a bid to stop constant seizures, will soon have special toys and equipment to help her recover.

The youngster was left with a limp left side after the operation and now needs stimulation and physiotherapy to help her adjust.

But thanks to fundraising and donations by well-wishers her family are now set to spend the �5,000 on gear which will include an interactive bubble tube which she can operate.

Angelina, now 15 months old from Gresham, suffers from a rare condition called Sturge-Weber Syndrome, which left her with a port wine stain on her face, epilepsy, bodily weakness and learning delays.

The latest gift to help her comes from Nicky Williamson, whose husband Mike died from epilepsy 12 years ago.

He would have been 40 this year, and in his memory she asked friends and family to give to Angelina's appeal, raising �280, having heard about the youngster's plight through talk at the school gate.

Nicky, from Sustead, whose welder husband died from only his second ever seizure in November 1998, and Angelina's mum Lisa Massingham both have other children at the Gresham village school,

'I wanted to help, and I will also be able to see how our efforts are helping Angelina,' she added.

Since Angelina's surgery her constant seizures have stopped, and regular visits by occupational and physiotherapists are helping her regain feeling and use of her affected side.

Mum Lisa said: 'She is like a different child – like she can see through the fog. She is sitting up, commando crawling, can wave, and clap her right hand on to her left.' She praised the efforts of everyone who had helped raise the funds, and the family was about to start ordering the equipment, with the aim of setting up a special sensory room for Angelina.

The youngster wears a splint on her left leg two hours a day, a Lycra gauntlet on her arm, and is having swimming lessons to help build up her movement.

'Angelina will never be able to use her left hand for fine motor skills; it is like puppet with a broken string,' added her mum.

But it would be possible to regain other movement, and the remaining left side of her brain should take over from the disconnected side to a degree.

? Angelina's story is being filmed for a BBC science documentary. People can see find out more on her website www.angelinas dreams.org