A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl battling a rare growth disease faces a struggle to attend hospital after her father was made redundant.

The family of Caitlin Jones revealed how she brought tears to her father's eyes by offering him her £2.36 savings after he lost his job at Crown Wallcoverings, Darwen.

Today bosses at the Birmingham Children's Hospital where she goes for treatment for the condition -- which affects only 75 children in the UK -- pledged to look into ways of helping the family meet travel costs.

The family is now leading the Crown children's fund, aimed at giving children of ex-workers a daytrip to look forward to in the summer.

Caitlin, of Somerset Avenue, Darwen, suffers from Goldenhar Syndrome, and parents Tracy and Nigel take her to the national treatment centre in Birmingham several times a month for check-ups and tests.

The right side of Caitlin's body was left underdeveloped at birth which means that she needs equipment to help her breath. Caitlin, who attends St Cuthbert's Primary School, also suffers from autism.

Her dad was one of 177 workers made redundant with no notice or holiday pay by receivers Ernst and Young last week.

Dad Nigel, 41, explained: "She just doesn't understand things as normal people would. She knows that I go to work every day but now I'm at home she knows that it's wrong. When she heard I no longer had a job she went upstairs and emptied her pocket money from her piggy bank.

"She brought down all her pennies and her two and five pence pieces and there was £2.36 altogether. She said 'That's to get you a new job' and I just couldn't believe it. I was moved to tears."

The youngster even re-wrapped a half-eaten lollipop in order to spare her parents the financial cost of buying another the next day.

Tracy, 40, and unemployed, said: "We went to Birmingham three times last month and every time we go it takes a full day and so it costs at least £50 with the petrol and the food.

"And now Nigel's out of work we just can't afford to make the trips any more. I've used up nearly all my savings and I honestly don't know what we're going to do next. Caitlin is our only child and she's very high maintenance so now we have nothing else left."

Nigel had worked at the mill for ten years as a leading hand on the wall paper printing press.

Caitlin and her parents attended 102 doctor and hospital appointments last year from Blackburn to Birmingham and the youngster is scheduled to receive a life-changing operation on her face at the beginning of next year.

Tracy said: "The surgery will stretch her jaw and aim to reconstruct her palate. We hope things will be looking a lot brighter by then."

A spokesperson from the Birmingham Children's Hospital said: "The hospital will always strive to look into situations like this and we will do our best to help the family. If the father were to go on benefits, some of the transport fees would be covered."

The family were all set for a camping holiday at the end of August but their plans were halted by the devastating financial blow, prompting the parents to start a fund to take all the children of ex-Crown workers on holiday.

Tracy said: "Caitlin isn't the only one who will suffer. So will all the kids whose parents have been made unemployed. We want to give them a day to remember by asking Darwen people to donate some money for a trip. Otherwise a lot of children will be very unhappy."

Anyone who would like to help the children of ex-workers can contact Tracy on 01254 703623.

Derwent Hall charity fund-raisers are supporting the fund and donations can be made to them on 01254 702259, or at The Grotto on Darwen Market.

Ex-workers are also encouraged to contact Tracy if their children will be affected by the job losses this summer.