Toni dances with the dolphins...

The youngster, from Maybridge Square in Durrington, has spent all of her 12 years in and out of hospital and has undergone numerous operations to treat the condition, known as Multiple Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD). She also has a pacemaker.

Her family are just waiting to take her to Great Ormand Street Childrens' Hospital in London, where doctors will perform a tracheotomy operation, making a hole in the trachea through her neck to help breathing, which may even need to be permanent.

Last week, they returned home from the trip to Florida after national charity Make A Wish, which makes the dreams of seriously ill and terminally ill children a reality, stepped in to make Toni's wish come true.

Mum Carol Carver, who has three other children, said: "It was a fantastic trip. It is something I never would have been able to do for her myself so we are so grateful.The illness makes Toni very tired and it does restrict her life a lot. She is a fighter and she gets on with life as best she can. The doctors didn't think she would be here now so she is doing well. We just have to take each day as it comes and see what happens."

Toni, who is a pupil at Orchards Middle School, said: "I had a really great time."

The family made contact with the charity after Toni's godmother, Linda Thorne, read about them.Local wish granter Irene Gray, who is the Make A Wish volunteer for the South East area, said: "It was so lovely to be able to make this happen. It is such a lovely wish and they had a brilliant time."

Irene, from Findon, says the charity is desperately short of volunteers, who work to make the wishes of youngsters like Toni come true.

Carol said: "Without volunteers like Irene this would never have been made possible and this trip has been fantastic for Toni."

Volunteers can help with a variety of things ranging from meeting the wish children, helping at fundraising events, giving presentations, taking families to and from the airport and helping out with office work.

n Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can contact Rebecca McDonald on 01276 241272.