WHAT a start to our new appeal. Only five days after the launch of Guardian Angels, we already have the backing of big business, our first celebrity endorsement, from comedian Dave Spikey - and support from scores of readers.

It is clear that our campaign to transform high-dependency care on York Hospital's children's ward already has the backing of the city and beyond.

We have met some resilient little mites this week. The babies who were struck down by illness but fought back to full health are an incredible advertisement for the skill and dedication of paediatric staff at the hospital. Yet their working conditions are not ideal.

At present, very poorly children are cared for in two small rooms with limited equipment. If they need intensive care they must go to into the operating theatre block or accident and emergency until a specialist team can arrive from Leeds.

Our appeal will create two high-dependency rooms equipped with state-of-the-art, life-saving technology. It will give the little patients instant access to everything they need to fight illness or infection.

All this does not come cheap. We need £300,000 to see the dream turned into reality.

So it is hugely encouraging that the campaign has taken off in such spectacular fashion. We must record our thanks to First, the York bus company, which lived up to its name with immediate support. And all those readers who are even now busy organising fundraising events have our gratitude too.

There's a long way to go. But together we can create something special.

Updated: 11:07 Friday, October 14, 2005