TERMINALLY ill York mum Rachel Wrigglesworth has wept tears of joy after a Press reader donated £1,000 to help ensure her children have happy memories when she passes away.

The York businessman, who wants to remain anonymous, added to the hundreds of pounds already donated by well-wishers after The Press featured Rachel’s story earlier this week.

Rachel, 34, of Acomb, who is suffering from leukaemia, launched an appeal to help ensure her young daughters Tia, 11, and Teegan, eight, and her husband Gary, had precious memories of going out with her on memorable day trips and holidays.

With Gary caring full-time for her, money is tight and so a crowdfunding campaign was launched online, and a charity night is planned at Flares night club in Tanner Row on June 29.

The businessman said he was moved by the story, saying: “I can empathise with the family; especially the two young girls who are going to be without their mother.

“I can afford it and it will give me great pleasure to know that I’ve been able to help a struggling family at their hour of need.

“I have had low points in my life and been much uplifted by acts of kindness - especially when it comes from strangers.”

He sent the family a card with his favourite words from a poem by Victorian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon, which read: “Life is mostly froth & bubble, Two things stand like stone, Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.”

Donations to Rachel's fundraising page, www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Rachelsstory, had reached £591 by yesterday, with many messages of support from donors, such as the Bell Farm community, which said: “We hope you can make great memories with your children”and a couple, who said:“Memories are precious... hoping this helps a little."

Another read : “My son plays with Tegan at school. I’ve doubled his pocket money savings he said he wanted me to send to you all. He said he hopes you can do something fun with it.”

Rachel was almost speechless with shock and burst into tears of joy when The Press handed over the money from the businessman.

She hugged her children and then said: “No words, no words at all. I am just stunned. Absolutely gobsmacked. Oh God.”

Asked what she wanted to say to the businessman and all the other well-wishers, she said: “Thank you very. You really don’t know what this means. We all thank you so much. Thank you.”

She said it wasn’t so much about the money but the knowledge that there were so many kind people out there, willing to give her their support, which was such a big morale booster while she was going through a difficult time.

She planned to bank the cash straight away and then use it to take the children on great trips out this summer, for example to Scarborough.