A children's hospice has bounced back from the brink of closure thanks to a surge in offers of help from our readers.

More than 30 families in Sussex rely on the support and respite care offered by the Demelza House children's hospice, which was facing closure earlier in the year following a drop in donations.

Since we highlighted its plight, enough cash has been donated to keep the hospice open.

However, supporters are still calling for more because the centre can only afford to offer families four days' care each year, compared with the 20 it used to. It has also stopped offering weekend care.

Garry and Debbie Perkins, of Applesham Way, Portslade, and Kathy and Ian Hemestretch, of Elm Drive, Hove, are among those who depend on short stays to give them a break from caring for their severely ill children.

They have been urging people to support the hospice's Christmas Tree Appeal, launched this week.

Staff and volunteers will add an ornament to their Christmas tree for every £5 donation received.

At this time of year, Mr and Mrs Hemestretch would normally spend a week at the hospice, which can cater for whole families, with their son Kieran, aged 15.

The teenager suffers from a condition called adrenoleukodystrophy, caused by a faulty gene.

He is now blind and deaf and Mrs Hemestretch cannot leave him on his own, even though she still has to find time to bring up her eight-year-old son Pearse.

The hospice, in Sittingbourne, Kent, is struggling to provide relief because of the funding shortage.

Mrs Hemestretch said: "We always celebrate Christmas wondering if it will be Kieran's last. We have already spent four days at the hospice this year but it has had to cut back on its services, so we can't spend any more time there."

Mr and Mrs Perkins face a similar dilemma with their son Ryan, eight, who was born with severe cerebral palsy. The hospice has become a lifeline for the couple and their three other children.

Mr Perkins said: "In the eight years since Ryan was born, it is the only place we have found where the whole family can stay together.

"Ryan needs constant medical attention, it's incredibly draining. We've been going to Demelza for two years now and it's like a family holiday."

To contribute, call the hospice on 01795 843843.