FORMER Saints chairman Leon Crouch has donated almost £4,000 to an appeal launched to enable a Hampshire toddler take his first steps.

Vicki Mills is raising £50,000 to help her three-year-old son James, who needs a life-changing operation followed by an extensive course of physiotherapy.

Mr Crouch’s donation to the Daily Echo-backed appeal means she now has more than enough money for pay for the actual surgery.

Vicki, of Hythe, was overcome with emotion after learning of his generosity.

She said: “We check the James’s JustGiving page a couple of times a day and noticed that Mr Crouch had donated £3,000, plus £750 gift aid.

“His contribution to the fund has taken us over the amount we need for the surgery and has really put our minds at ease.

“Apparently he saw a newspaper story about James and was really moved by his story.

“I started welling up as soon as I saw Mr Crouch’s comment and I’ve only just stopped crying.

“I can’t thank him enough for the wonderful thing he’s done. It’s an incredibly kind gesture that needs to be acknowledged.”

As reported in Daily Echo online, James was born with cerebral palsy and is unable to take a single step unaided.

He needs a procedure known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, which aims to boost a patient’s mobility by cutting the faulty nerves responsible for muscle rigidity.

But the operation is not normally available on the NHS, which means Vicki must raise the cash herself.

Daily Echo:

Mr Crouch, pictured above, was chairman of Saints during its financial crisis in 2007-8 and kept the club alive by paying costs out of his own pocket.

He also paid for the Ted Bates statue that stands outside St Mary’s Stadium.

In the New Forest he is best known as the founder of Lymington Precision Engineers, which was taken over earlier this year in a deal worth nearly £46 million.

The firm has been operating for nearly 30 years and has 225 staff, making it one of the biggest employers in the Lymington area.

His comment on James’s JustGiving page says: “I read the (newspaper) article and was very moved.

“I hope this donation helps towards the treatment that James so deserves.”

To donate to the appeal, visit justgiving.com/JamesWTW.