A FOUR-YEAR-OLD from North Bradley, who was unable to smile for two years due to a rare illness, is looking forward to a summer fete being organised to raise funds for the charity that looked after him.

Sonny Little, of Southwick Road, is one of just 25 children worldwide with a chromosome deletion syndrome known as 2Q24.3, which caused him to have up to 30 seizures a day and left him unable to crawl, laugh, eat or even smile.

A year ago, after much research, a nutritionist placed him on a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet of just multifibre KetoCal milk. He has improved greatly and can now smile at his parents Kelly Davies, 34, and Martin Little, 32, and three-year-old brother Rylee again.

Now, Natalie Aylesbury, of Greenway Gardens, Trowbridge, is organising a summer fete, disco, quiz and raffle, at Southwick Village Hall on August 5, to raise funds for local children's charity Stepping Stones, who have looked after Sonny for three years.

"We are so touched by the gesture – anything that can help the brilliant Stepping Stones is a great idea as it has transformed our lives in a way we could never have of imagined," said Mr Little.

"They have done wonders for Sonny in the three years he has been there. They do physio there, they have a great sensory room and equipment to use and he just loves it. Sonny is unique so it can be a challenge but they do such a great job. He goes there on Monday and Friday, 9.30-11.30am, and he just adores it.

"Having Sonny smiling again is the best feeling in the world. He could not do it for two years, which was soul destroying, but now we see that beautiful smile every day. I am sure we will see that smile when Natalie's fundraiser comes around, he is very excited."

Sonny will go to Larkrise Special School in September, so Ms Aylesbury, who has known Kelly for nine years after the pair worked at a Tesco convenience store together, thought this was a good send-off for him.

"I just think what Stepping Stones have done for little Sonny is brilliant. Kelly tells me how they look after him so well, so I wanted to organise something to thank them for that," said the 26-year-old.

"I am really excited to put this together. I have got some helpers but if people can donate prizes for the raffle and more stallholders come along that would be great."