LITTLE Oliver Thornton hasn’t let his rare disease stop him helping other kids.

The Oakes four-year-old has raised money for toys for the children’s unit where he is being treated for a bowel condition.

Oliver has Hirschsprung’s disease, meaning he can’t digest food and has to have an enema every other day.

But the brave lad has raised more than £1,000 for Leeds General Infirmary by doing a sponsored walk around Greenhead Park.

Mum Nichola said: “I’m proud of him for doing the walk when he’s not well. It was a massive thing for him.”

Oliver walked for two hours on August 26 with 13 relatives.

Nichola delivered £1,000 worth of toys on Monday to the Leeds hospital – where Oliver has had more than 15 operations in his short life.

She said: “They have a playroom there but a lot of the toys are broken. I hope our toys will help to keep the children going when they’re in there for weeks at a time.

“It’s a way of giving something back to the hospital because the staff have been fantastic.”

Oliver had his first operation there when he was just three months old.

Nichola explained: “Hirschsprung’s is a very rare disease meaning the lower bowel doesn’t have any nerves to push out waste. He had to have a seven-hour operation to pull nerves from further up the bowel.”

But despite this and further surgery, life remains a struggle for Oliver.

Nichola said: “He’s not really growing because he doesn’t eat much. He has a few mouthfuls and then feels full.

“It’s a constant struggle to get him to eat as he gets bad stomach aches.”

Oliver has to have an enema every other day to clear out his system, and will soon have a colostomy bag fitted.

However, the little lad remains upbeat. Nichola said: “He’s such a jolly little boy that people can’t believe there’s something wrong with him.”

But Nichola, who also has a one-year-old daughter, sometimes feels the strain.

She said: “It’s been very hard for me. It’s difficult to get him to eat.

“Just for him to sit down and eat a meal would be fantastic, though it’s something other people take for granted.”

The family are still accepting sponsorship money for the walk. To donate call 07900 468786.