A SCULPTOR is making metal dragonflies as part of a project to raise money for a little girl with a mystery illness.

Olivia Bowyer, eight, has low muscle tone, global developmental delay, sensory and speech problems, and autism.

Despite MRI scans and genetic tests, doctors have been unable to find any syndrome that is the cause of her problems.

Mum Debbie says all she can do is give Olivia the best in the hope that she will one day reach her full potential.

Debbie has been fundraising to cover the costs of Olivia’s daily physio, speech and language therapy and sensory activities for about six years.

She said: “We worked out what we thought was the best thing for her at that time.

“The first thing we fundraised for was a hydrotherapy pool because she couldn’t walk so it was to get her muscle tone going.

“We fundraised for private physio to get her walking and then we started fundraising for speech and language therapy to get her talking.

“She didn’t walk until she was five years old. We’ve had quizzes, fun days, charity balls and lots of different people have come on board and done things for her, so we’re really lucky.”

The latest is a collaboration with Forgery Metal Art as part of a fundraiser to build a sensory room for Olivia’s therapy sessions.

Sculptor Graham Thrussell, 53, has crafted a 6ft-tall dragonfly.

It was donated as a prize for a raffle at a quiz night on Saturday, January 26, but Debbie said it was too special not to have its own independent raffle.

She said: “It’s just really sweet because we haven’t really known them that long.

“We’ve been really blessed.”

Graham said: “We love seeing Olivia, and it’s such a good feeling, seeing her develop and progress so much.”

Graham engraved the dragonfly with Olivia’s name and the number one as the first of a series of sculptures to raise money for her.

He will make a new sculpture to raffle every year until she is 18.

Raffle tickets are £2 each from gofundme.com/olivia-needs-you.

The raffle is due to be drawn at the end of February.