People have raised hundreds of pounds to help a toddler with a fatal ageing condition.

Three-year-old Ashanti White stole the hearts of people across Sussex when The Argus reported how her body was ageing eight times faster than normal.

Her family appealed for help to find a cure for the rare disease, which means she is unlikely to live beyond 13.

Now residents of the Triangle social club at Leach Court, Park Street, Brighton, have raised £226.70 with a coffee morning.

Club chairman John Stevens said: "As soon as we saw the story about Ashanti we decided we wanted to do something to help. Everyone dug deep and donated as much as they could. It was a great morning."

The club has made £2,254 for various causes since it began fund-raising in 2003.

Calls flooded in to The Argus from people wanting to donate money to the Progeria Research Foundation in the USA and to Ashanti's family.

They wanted to help make Ashanti's life as full as possible by taking her on her dream holiday to swim with dolphins.

By the time she is ten, her body will have the appearance of an 80-year-old and she will have symptoms including baldness, arthritis and heart problems.

There are about 40 known cases of progeria worldwide and only four in the UK. One is eight-year-old Hayley Okines, from Bexhill, who featured in a documentary on Five this year called Extraordinary People.

If you would like to make a donation to help Ashanti or the Progeria Research Foundation, call Sara Wallis at The Argus on 01273 732254 or visit www.progeriaresearch .