A FAMILY plans to help local charities with money raised to send their ill son for therapy in America.

Aiden Firth, seven, of Elmfield Avenue, Milnsbridge, cannot walk or talk properly.

His parents, Toni Harrigan and Michael Firth, launched an appeal in 2001 to raise £10,000 to send him to America to swim with dolphins, in the hope that it would kickstart his development.

In seven months, a committee set up for the appeal hit its total and Aiden went to Florida in March last year.

Now there is some cash left over and the family wants other causes to benefit.

Toni said: "We will be handing out some money that's left, but we don't yet know who to, or when."

Since his trip to Florida, Aiden has made steps in the right direction.

Toni said: "The experience was fantastic. It has helped him all round. He had started walking before we went, but he was very unsteady and clutched the furniture.

"He's a lot steadier and more adventurous now. He goes upstairs and steps in and out of the bath, with our help.

"He's more vocal as well, making more noise. It does sometimes sound like words, but it is nothing coherent.

"It doesn't seem much - but to us he's come on in leaps and bounds."

Aiden's condition is still baffling doctors.

A brainwave test showed there was an abnormality and his parents learned that his vacant periods are the result of him having "absent seizures".