A MOTHER says she was in a state of shock after finding out that ‘secret fundraisers’ had donated almost £8,000 overnight to help her four-year-old daughter bounce back from major surgery.

Lucy Garner’s online fundraising page received a wave of donations after comedian Jason Manford called on his fans to contribute.

Mrs Garner, of Northwick, Worcester, is raising money to pay for physiotherapy sessions for her daughter, Milla, who has cerebral palsy.

Milla is currently recovering from selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, which should reduce the stiffness in her legs if she gets enough physiotherapy.

Mrs Garner, aged 44, said: “We are overwhelmed. I got a message from a friend saying the campaign had been picked by Jason and the ‘charity ninjas’.

“It started happening on Saturday night. They like for the fundraiser to not find out about it until the following morning. I think we had about £1,200 on Saturday night and it went up to £9,000 by Sunday morning. We couldn’t believe it on Sunday morning. We were in shock.

“It’s really thoughtful. We have had donations from £2 to £100 from complete strangers. These are secret fundraisers operating through the night.

“I’d like to say a heartfelt thanks to those who donated, they are people from all over the country and they don’t even know us - they just read our story.”

Mrs Garner said one person donated after winning £25 on a scratch card, while another found £5 on the floor and decided to donate it after reading Mr Manford’s Facebook post about the appeal.

The mother also thanked her friends and family for their contributions.

She set up the fundraising page last week and it has already gathered more than £12,700.

To donate go on https://bit.ly/2OoUJAM

You can also text MILLA 5 to 70085 to donate £5.