It was just amazing to hear the chuckle we'd not heard from Katie-Rae for so long

Poorly toddler's mum on life-changing tech

- BY AMANDA STOCKS

Hearing seven-year-old Katie-Rae Edmunds laugh again was an emotional moment for her parents.

The courageous youngster, who has had three open heart surgeries, almost died, lost and found her speech and has now lost her sight - but lets nothing hold her back.

And her parents, Neil Edmunds and Nicola Pebody, were thrilled to hear her laugh after using technology designed to enhance seriously ill children's lives.

Nicola, 36, told the Mirror: "When she used the Lifelites tech, it was amazing to hear the chuckle that we hadn't heard for so long."

HGV driver Neil, 44, said of the scene at a children's hospice: "Katie-Rae loves the Lifelites tech at Rainbows, especially the Soundbeam.

"When we were there it made her laugh and the whole room joined in. Her joy was contagious."

Nicola and Neil are backing the Mirror's Christmas appeal to raise funds for Lifelites, a charity that provides technology to children's hospice and palliative care services.