A charity has donated £3,000 to help the wishes of a girl suffering from the rare ageing condition progeria come true.

Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath District Round Table pledged the money after reading about Ashanti White, aged two, who is ageing eight times faster than normal.

Since an appeal by Ashanti's family in The Argus, readers have donated £570 towards the Progeria Research Foundation in the USA and to Ashanti's family.

When Ashanti reaches the age of ten, her body will have the appearance of an 80-year-old and symptoms including baldness, arthritis and heart problems.

There are 40 known cases of progeria worldwide and four in the UK. One of those is Hayley Okines, aged eight, from Bexhill, who featured in Channel Five documentary Extraordinary People this year. The average lifespan of children with progeria is 13 years and at present there is no cure.

Ashanti's grandmother Ann White, of London Road, Horney Common, near Nutley, is leading a fund-raising campaign.

Ashanti's parents, Phoebe, 20, and Wayne White, 36, of Denham Road, Burgess Hill, want to raise money to take Ashanti on her dream holiday to swim with dolphins.

Round Table chairman Mark Bennett said: "When we heard about Ashanti we wanted to donate money to grant her a wish.

"We have been talking to her family about what the money can be used for as she may be too young to swim with dolphins."

Steve Wilcock, also of the Round Table, added: "Anyone who wants to discuss a donation should write to Mark Bennett at 17 Marchants Road, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex."

To make a donation to help Ashanti or the Progeria Research Foundation, call Sara Wallis at The Argus on 01273 544525 or visit www.progeriaresearch.org
Gemma Butler, manager of the Anchor Trust retirement home Vernon Court, in Windlesham Road, Brighton, set up a fund-raising day for Ashanti. She said: "We held an event here on Wednesday and raised more than £400 and people are still giving me money.

"It was a really good day and hopefully the money will help Ashanti."