A CARING Sauchie youngster has held a series of toy sales in an effort to help fund the air ambulance service that saved her grandad.

Little Kayla Wilson spent the last three weekends hosting a stall and carrying out a collection at the Loch Earn caravan site.

She sold her old toys, teddies, some DVDs along with some books, and on Saturday some of her friends also donated things of their own to help the cause.

The idea proved more successful than the she could have hoped for, with their total currently sitting at around £350.

And when added to additional fundraising efforts by the family, the grand total is around £1,600.

Kayla’s granddad, or her ‘grumpy’, is park manager at Loch Earn and suffered a major heart attack there. He was airlifted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee by crews with the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance and has since made a recovery.

As the family were fundraising to try and thank the team for their efforts, mum Laura suggested that Kayla host the toy sale.

The Deerpark Primary School pupil has been at the forefront of the fundraising ever since.

Laura told the Advertiser: “If it wasn’t for the air ambulance, my dad wouldn’t be here. He suffered a heart attack and the main artery was blocked.

“He’s way out in the sticks, here, and it would have taken a lot longer for an ambulance to take him to hospital by road.

“But they took him to Ninewells and, in fact, was out of surgery by the time my mum was able to get there.”

Laura added: “Kayla knows the helicopter saved her grumpy, after it took him to the ambulance in the sky. We wanted to do something to help them and to say thank you. They are not funded at all and rely on donations.

“I said to her: ‘Why don’t we set up a toy stall and have a wee clear-out?’ Kayla went and picked her old toys and teddies – I thought there might have been a battle but she was great with it.”

The experience has had a nurturing affect on Kayla who has become much more confident.

“She’s really pleased with herself,” Laura said. “She used to be really shy, but she stood up in the front of the whole assembly and told them all about what she was doing.

“I can’t believe how much she has come out of her shell now.

“We also got a message from the air ambulance and they’ve asked if we want to come along and visit.

“We’re hoping to meet the crew and the paramedics that were on duty that day as well and say thank you.”

To help Kayla and Laura’s fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Laura-Fotheringham1