THE mother of a brave two-year-old boy last night thanked the Suffolk villagers who have rallied round to help him.Henry Chaplin, who suffers from cerebral palsy, West's syndrome, visual impairment, epilepsy and severe development delay, is not expected to reach adulthood.

THE mother of a brave two-year-old boy last night thanked the Suffolk villagers who have rallied round to help him.

Henry Chaplin, who suffers from cerebral palsy, West's syndrome, visual impairment, epilepsy and severe development delay, is not expected to reach adulthood.

His parents, Michelle and David, of Straight Road, Battisford, near Needham Market, need to raise £20,000 to extend their house to include a downstairs bedroom and bathroom for Henry.

To help meet their target, they held a fete at Ashburnham House in the village on Saturday.

Various activities took place, including pony and tractor rides, a bouncy castle and a raffle. A licensed bar, a barbecue, cream teas and ice creams were also available, while the fete was topped off with a balloon race and a charity auction.

Mrs Chaplin said: “It went very well. It was very busy, very hot and we had a very good turn out. We think we've raised a lot of money but we haven't counted it up yet.

“The community support in the village has been fantastic. There have been a huge number of friends, and even strangers, who have helped us.”

More fundraising activities are being planned throughout the year, including a sponsored walk and a calendar.

Although the family expects to receive a disabled facilities grant of £25,000, this will not cover the cost of additional equipment required and adaptations needed to be carried out to the family's home.

It is hoped the work will enable Henry, who uses the East Anglian Children's Hospices facilities in Ipswich, to remain at home.

Mrs Chaplin said: “We've got a long way to go to reach the £20,000 target and we're going to do lots of other things to raise the money.”