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Weekly UpdatesByline: LAURA CAROE
SURROUNDED by scores of celebrity handprints, meningitis victim Tilly Lockey has touched hearts across the world.
Sportsmen, film stars and singers have donated their handprints to Tilly, who lost both her hands and her toes to the disease at just 15 months old.
They were put up in the Centre for Life, in Newcastle, on Saturday, before they are auctioned off to raise money for the youngster. Her parents Sarah and Adam have worked tirelessly to raise money for their daughter, so she can live as normal a life as possible.
Tilly was fitted with her first pair of prosthetic hands in January this year, but the three-year-old will need up to two pairs as she grows, costing more than pounds 20,000 each.
Sir Bobby Robson, pop group Girls Aloud, and actors Tom Hanks and Whoopi Goldberg have donated their handprints to be auctioned.
More than 100 prints and hand casts were shown at the exhibition before they are auctioned off at a dinner in September.
Full-time mum-of-three Sarah, 29, who lives with her family in County Durham, said: "There are so many worthwhile charities out there and I know celebrities get asked to help all the time, so it is amazing how generous everyone has been. We have all of these wonderful quirky and unique drawings and hand casts created by celebrities to help us raise funds for Tilly.
"These will be auctioned at a dinner but we wanted to share them with as many people as possible before they become part of someone's private collection."
Experts have estimated Sir Bobby Robson's handprint and JK Rowling's print could sell for anything upwards of pounds 2,000 each.
Former Corrie star turned singer Richard Fleeshman will headline the Tilly Lockey Celebrity Handprint Auction, attended by patron Denise Welch and her husband Tim Healy, Duncan Bannatyne and Toon stars.
Chronicle readers and businesses came up with pounds 20,000 within just 48 hours when we launched our Give Tilly a Hand campaign.
Tickets for the auction are pounds 65 and include a champagne reception and dinner on September 5. To buy tickets visit www.givetillyahand.com or call (0191) 370 9559.
COMMENT: PAGE 6 Helping her out TILLY was diagnosed with meningitis in January 2007. The disease damaged her hands and toes so badly they had to be amputated.
In July that year, the Chronicle launched the Give Tilly A Hand Campaign to raise money for myo-electric hands. In October 2007, Tilly celebrated her second birthday. Two months later she took her first steps without toes. The Give Tilly A Hand Appeal reached pounds 100,000 in July last year, and in January, Tilly started nursery and got her first pair of hands. In March, Tilly received pounds 50,000 in NHS funding, spread over five years.
CAPTION(S):
KINDNESS: Left, Sir Bobby Robson and, right, his handprint HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: Tilly with the handprints
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