FUNDRAISING for the care of a nine-year-old girl left paralysed after falling off a climbing frame has been boosted by the efforts of a North Yorkshire schoolboy.

Bel Young needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after the incident in a neighbour’s garden, which left her with a broken neck, unable to move her arms and legs and needing a ventilator to breathe.

A year on, and the youngster is now out of hospital and living with her family, thanks to a fundraising campaign to buy the equipment and help she needs for her ongoing care.

Schoolboy Joe Keegan, 12, was so touched by her tale that he has been fundraising for The Being Bel Trust.

The trust was set up by Bel’s parents, Simon and Vanessa, to raise funds for medical equipment and to cover therapy costs to help their daughter live at home on a permanent basis and he got to meet nine-year-old Bel for the first time this week.

Kind-hearted Joe, a pupil of Cundall Manor School, near Thirsk, also volunteers each week for The Alzheimer’s Charity. Joe has raised nearly £1,000 to date for the two charities by taking part in a sponsored swim, an off-road bike ride, and by holding cake stalls at his school.

Joe met Bel at a fundraising event for The Being Bel Trust where he asked the young girl to become his friend.

Joe’s mother, Debbie, said her son had heard about Bel’s plight as she is the goddaughter of a parent at his school She said: “I am very proud of him. He is a very special little boy.

“When he heard about Bel he told me that he wanted to do something to help and he took part in a number of fundraising activities, including getting up at 5am baking 100 buns to sell at school.

“When he met Bel he pulled up a chair to chat to her and he had planned what he wanted to talk to her about and put a lot of thought into it.

“He asked for her number so he could continue to stay in touch and when he asked me to look after her details for him he told me that this was not just an idle promise.

“He wants to stay her friend and continue fundraising.

“He really is an amazing boy.”

Bel’s family are appealing for funds to help her ongoing treatment.

Anyone who wants to help should email Bel’s mum Vanessa on nessyoung@live.com