WHEN Garreth Berridge was diagnosed with cerebral palsy doctors in South Africa told his parents there was no hope for him.

But his family refused to accept this and moved to Wootton Bassett two years ago so he could be close to Brainwave, a Somerset based charity for brain-injured children

The four-year-old has made such tremendous progress that he has been chosen as the face for the Charity's Christmas Appeal, which aims to raise £40,000 this year.

Mum Dorne said her son's story gives hope to other children with the same condition.

She said: "When he first started attending, he had no muscle control. He couldn't lift his head and was completely floppy, he couldn't put any weight on his legs and he would just collapse."

Garreth now has 99 per cent head control, he can sit, crawl, count to 10 with the aid of flash cards and say around nine words. He also attends Koalas Opportunity Group, a playgroup for children.

"He has come on in leaps and bounds. When he started last year, he was really attached to me but now he just loves the singing and clapping," Mrs Berridge said.

"His character has just come out, he is always laughing and he copies you all the time."

Brainwave devised a programme of physical and cognitive therapy especially for Garreth which his family carry out three times a day.

His older siblings, Shannon, 19, and Kelly, 16, also help with the sessions which last around 30 minutes.

The Berridges attended a reception at Buckingham Palace last month when parents who had devoted their time to Brainwave were given certificates of excellence.

If people want to donate to Brainwave, the charity can be reached on 01278 429089.