Fundraiser created to help train assistance dog and 'change the life' of 'brilliant, loving and clever' Northampton girl, 5

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help 'change the life' of a 'brilliant, loving and clever' five-year-old girl with complex medical needs from Northampton.

Lauren Bunting, from Duston, is hoping to raise £6,000 so that she can specially train an assistance puppy to help her daughter Connie better cope with day to day life.

The 30-year-old mother said: "Connie is a bright, funny, creative and caring five-year-old. She has complex medical problems, which have caused significant childhood trauma. She is also autistic with significant sensory processing difficulties and a number of other needs.

"Connie needs an assistance dog to help her access everyday experiences that others take for granted. She currently cannot go to medical and therapy appointments, attend school, or cope with many simple everyday tasks.

"She has just had a very rough start [to her life] through no fault of her own."

Lauren went on to explain how a trained dog would benefit Connie.

She added: "Everyday life is overwhelming and distressing for Connie but dogs have a very calming effect on her. An assistance dog would help keep her safe, stop her running away when distressed, and could be trained to help her with everyday tasks such as getting dressed.

"Getting a fully trained assistance dog is hugely expensive with a long wait so we intend to get a puppy to train, giving Connie the emotional benefits immediately. But we need help from experts to train the dog to meet Connie’s needs, and that we can’t afford on our own.

"We would be so grateful for any donations to help change our little girl’s life."

So far, at the time of writing (Monday, January 24), the family has raised £1,200.

To donate to the GoFundMe page, click here.