Family and friends are rallying to help a two-year-old tot who has been left disabled after contracting E.coli.

Alfie Cairney has been in hospital for six months since being struck down with the devastating illness. Doctors say his kidneys will never function properly again and he will leave hospital severely disabled.

Friends are supporting the family by renovating their home on The Crescent in Hurdsfield to make it suitable for Alfie to live there when he finally leaves hospital.

Local businesses have also donated goods and food to volunteers working on the family’s home.

His mum Bev Russon, 35, has had to give up her job at special needs school The Meadows in order to care for Alfie. She said: "The last six months have been incredibly hard – so many bad things have happened.

"Our whole lives have been turned upside down.

"Before his illness he was just a normal little boy – a cheeky chappy who was always smiling."

It is not known how Alfie contracted the illness.

Due to Alfie’s illness the family, including Alfie’s dad Steve, 34, who works for a manufacturing firm, and sister Ellie-Mai, six, have had to move from Ash Grove, Macclesfield, to the house on The Crescent in Hurdsfield, which is more appropriate to his new needs.

Bev added: "When we went to move in we realised the house was not suitable to care for Alfie, so his Uncle Peter put a call out on the radio for volunteers to help him do the necessary renovations to the house.

"Since then Peter has spent three weekends doing work on the house, and we have had dozens of people we don’t even know come down to lend a hand.

"The support has been incredible, as on top of that loads of businesses have donated supplies and food for the workers and reconstruction."

Among those who have lent their support to the family are businesses Travis Perkins, Wickes, Mcdonalds and local councillor Ken Edwards.

Bev said: "Alfie is currently in a rehabilitation ward and they want to get him home as quickly as possible. Ellie-Mai keeps saying she will make Alfie all better when we get him home. Me and Steve have spent the money we had planned for our wedding putting flooring down in the house to make it right for Alfie coming home.

“That’s all we want right now – Alfie home."

A spokeswoman from Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, who the family rent their home on The Crescent from, said: "Ms Russon and her family’s case was treated with the highest possible priority by the Trust, allowing them to choose a new home which was appropriate for Alfie’s needs.

"The property met our lettable standards and we have gone above and beyond this to try and make the home as suitable as possible for the family.

"We are delighted to hear that the community has pulled together to provide them with help and support, and we wish them all the best in their new home."