ALMOST £12,000 has been raised to help a little York baby with an ultra-rare genetic condition that will cost him his life.

A massive fundraising drive was prompted earlier this year after Blake Knaggs, of Huntington, became one of only 57 children in the world to be diagnosed as suffering from Mucolipidosis II ML2 (MPS).

Now organisers of an auction evening and raffle at Haxby Sports Club say they are overwhelmed after it raised £9,430 – far more than they originally dared hope.

“We were speechless – absolutely overwhelmed,” said Blake’s aunt Joanne Addinall, of Haxby, who organised the event with Katie Johnson.

“We thought it might raise about £4,000. We’d like to thank everyone who supported the event. We were given about 150 items to put in the auction and raffle.

“It was quite an emotional evening, with singer Nicola Fowler and Mark Bate on guitar, and Britain’s Got Talent magician Alfie Whattam.”

She said Sara Staveley of Strensall and Marc Pearson of Haxby had also raised £470 and £135 respectively by running in the York Marathon, while Claire Taylor had raised £150 through a bake stall.

Another boost came when Christine Daker and a team of colleagues who work for a company called Forever Living organised a pamper evening and raised £1,160. Christine thanked members of her team in the York area who gave both their time and products for use on the evening.

Wigginton petanque club also raised just over £100 for the appeal.

Joanne said the majority of the money raised would go to the Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases to fund research into the 'terrible' condition.

Some money would also go to Martin House Children’s Hospice, where Blake had stayed with his mother and received wonderful care, and some money would be used to create a sensory room full of stimulating colour and light at his home.

She added that Blake had been in hospital with bronchiolitis but it was hoped he could return home soon.