THE parents of a poorly toddler who faces regular treatment at hospital in Liverpool have issued a heartfelt and emotional "thank you" after the public rallied round to help them in their time of need.

When Jasper was born in April 2013, he had a cleft palate, conjoined kidneys, a small jaw and grey matter heterotopia - a neurological disorder caused by clumps of grey matter being located in the wrong part of the brain, and has spent the vast majority of his short life in and out of hospital.

He has since been diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, a condition which means cells in his body are unable to produce the energy they need to function.

Now four, Jasper was admitted to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool last month and despite some help with accommodation and petrol costs from the government, Gemma and Jeff have been struggling.

Although they were initially reluctant to accept help, after being persuaded by friends and The Mail to embrace the kindness of strangers the Holts have issued a heartfelt and emotional "thank you".

Public donations via a Crowdfunder page HERE have so far reached £620 and on hearing of the Holts' plight the Lake District Farmers Armstrong Family Charitable Trust immediately pledged £1,000.

LDF managing director Dan Austin, who visited the Holts' family home in Plover Gardens last night to hand over the money, said: "We only launched our 2018 fundraiser this week, and moments like this provide such a timely reminder of why we do what we do with the celebrity chef event every year.

"Every 10 tickets sold equals a donation of this scale, and that's how we have to put it into perspective.

"It's so important to us that we are able to help a family in great need at what should be a really special time of year, not a time for anyone to be worrying about how to make ends meet.

"We're thrilled to be able to help the Holts and hope that, with the support of the public, we can make the 2018 event successful enough to allow us to keep helping other families all year round."

The anonymous woman who set up the Crowdfunder page, who does not know the family, is delighted that the public have been showing their support.

"I was desperate for them to get it before Christmas, it's a heart-breaking story and so lovely to see how everyone has rallied round them," she told The Mail .

Support 2018 charity event to help LDF help more families

ALL funds donated by the Lake District Farmers Armstrong Family Charitable Fund to families like the Holts are raised at an annual celebrity chef event held across two weekends in February.

The fund was set up by well-known local businessman and philanthropist, Ray Armstrong, following his diagnosis with terminal cancer. It is in his memory that the events continue to raise tens of thousands of pounds year on year.

Every year, the team aims to smash its fundraising record, and organisers of the 2018 event hope they can make £50,000 to support people in need all over Furness.

This year, nine chefs will be travelling to Dalton and Barrow to help LDF make that dream a reality.

On night one, they will include London's Harrods and Hilton chef Jeff Galvin, Britain's youngest two-Michelin star holder Tom Aikens, and successful experimental chef, Phil Howard. Night two will see TV favourite, Angela Hartnett MBE, as star of the show.

On night three Cartmel's own national success, Simon Rogan, will be cooking alongside The Ledbury's Brett Graham, a holder of three Michelin stars.

The final night will feature Clare Smyth, the first female chef to hold and retain three Michelin stars, cooking alongside Gorson Ramsey Restaurant team leader, Matt Abé as well as esteemed London chef and LDF event newcomer, Adam Byatt.

An early career working in Claridge's led Mr Byatt to open his own restaurant, Thyme, in 2001. In 2005 he opened another, Trinity, which was awarded a Michelin Star, named the AA Guide's London Restaurant of the Year, and Time Out's Best New Restaurant.

His blend of traditional cooking blended with technical wizardly is sure to make Mr Byatt a public favourite when he appears at the celebrity chef event for the first time.

How to buy tickets

This year's Lake District Farmers Armstrong Family Charitable Fund celebrity chef events will be held over two weekends in February.

The first will take place on Friday February 9 and Saturday 10 at Clarence House Country Hotel and Restaurant in Dalton; the second on Friday February 16 and Saturday 17 at the Abbey House Hotel in Barrow.

To book tickets for February 9 or 10, call 01229 870168. To book for February 16 or 17, call 01229 838282.

All proceeds from ticket sales go back into the Furness community, helping needy individuals, families, charities and voluntary groups.