A TODDLER from Poole with cerebral palsy left her grandmother speechless after visiting her at work in her snazzy new wheels.

With the help of Dorset Children’s Foundation, which raises money to fund equipment and operations not funded by the NHS, friends and family of three-year-old Lexi Dunnings raised the £2,100 needed to buy her a specialist walker.

To celebrate, the tot surprised her grandmother Teresa Dunnings by visiting her at the Tesco Express where she works on Fernside Road.

“I was completely overwhelmed,” Mrs Dunnings said.

“They managed to keep it secret from me. When we saw her walking with it we were all in floods of tears. I can’t say in words how much it means for her and my daughter.”

Mrs Dunnings, who raised money for Lexi’s fund by putting collection pots in Tesco Express stores across Poole and Bournemouth, said the walker will give both her granddaughter and daughter a new lease of life.

“Before if we were doing anything at home we would have to leave her on the floor or put her in the high chair,” she explained. “This will strengthen her legs so she can follow my daughter around the house and if she is out and about she doesn’t have to be in a buggy.”

Dorset Children’s Foun-dation, which has raised £26,000 to help local children over the past year, set up a Just Giving page to raise funds for Lexi.

“She is such a beautiful little girl. We were happy we could help,” said Pasty Hallmey, trustee of the charity.

The charity now hopes to raise £3,000 to buy a computer which will help the youngster, who is unable to talk, tell her mother what she needs.

Lexi’s family is hosting a disco at Newton Conservative Club on Ringwood Road on Saturday, March 15 from 7.30pm to raise cash for the computer. Tickets are £5 for adults and children go free.