A little girl who suffers from a rare genetic disease set aside one special present on her birthday to give others the gift of life.

Sarah Webb, who has a brain tumour, marked her fourth birthday by asking for cash donations instead of presents from friends and family.

Now she has handed over almost $800 to the Patients Assistance League Service (PALS) charity nurses who look after her every week.

Sarah, of Camden North Road, Paget, was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type one, three years ago.

The disorder, which causes unusual spots and lumps all over the body, affects skin and nerve tissue.

And doctors have already found a tumour in the middle of Sarah's brain which could destroy her sight.

Sarah, who goes to the We Learn Nursery at the First Baptist Church, is now on a course of chemotherapy.

She is treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia every three months.

PALS nurses visit her every week to change dressings and check blood.

Parents Martin and Cindy hope the chemotherapy treatment will save Sarah's sight.

They also helped their daughter collect the $787.06 she handed to PALS in The Royal Gazette office yesterday.

Mr. Webb said: "Neurofibromatosis is an extremely rare disorder and is normally passed on genetically, although neither I nor my wife have it and there's no family history.

"We just don't know how Sarah came to be a sufferer and at first we were beside ourselves with worry.

"Now we are beginning to come to terms with it because the prognosis is reasonably good. But it's a long hard struggle and we know Sarah will encounter problems throughout her life.'' He said the first signs of the disorder were when Sarah began developing "cafe-au-lait'' birthmark spots when she was one year old.

"Sarah now has two tubes going into her body as part of her chemo treatment,'' said Mr. Webb. "We have to be very careful not to expose Sarah to infections and we also have to watch her calorie intake, because her appetite has started to drop.

"But the PALS nurses have been ever so good to us and they've even helped with counselling for our nine-year-old son Thomas, who's found it very hard to come to terms with Sarah's condition.'' Mrs. Webb, a nurse, said the family wanted to rally round PALS to show its appreciation.

She said: "For Sarah's birthday on October 15, the hospital staff donated $150 and the congregation at St. Mark's Church, led by Father Bob Thacker, gave $542.06.

"Some nursing students I was teaching gave $40 and the family raised $55, with a commitment to give $30 a month as a lifetime gift.

"The best thing about Sarah is that she's so bouncy and full of life and she never lets her troubles get her down, even during the bad times.'' PALS president Ann Smith-Gordon said: "We are so proud of Sarah and so grateful to her.

"She's so brave and we count ourselves as very lucky that she's thought of us.'' GIFT OF LIFE -- Little Sarah Webb give PALS almost $800 in birthday money as PALS president Ann Smith Gordon (left) and Sarah's parents Martin and Cindy Webb look on.

HEALTH HTH