Coventry disabled girl's favourite toy replaced by strangers

Rosie Wheeler has profound and multiple learning disabilities

A disabled teenager is being sent replacements of her favourite toy from strangers around the world after hers began to break.

Josie Wheel posted a message on Twitter asking for help finding a specific model of the toy which her sister Rosie had "loved since her second birthday".

"They are no longer made and we're running out of ones that work," she said in the post.

Ms Wheel described the response as both "heartwarming" and "overwhelming".

Her sister Rosie, 15, has profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and would be "really excited" to see the new toys.

The Vtech Light Up Learning Bug had stopped being sold by the company nearly a decade ago.

Rosie has loved the toy since her second birthday, her sister Josie said

"Rosie's current working ladybug broke yesterday so in the efforts to fix one of our broken 15 we thought we'd give social media a go.

"We never expected the response to be so huge," said the 18-year-old from Coventry.

"It's really heartwarming that so many people are so determined to help, even though they know nothing about Rosie and out of the goodness of their heart they just want to help."

She said about 15 replacements had so far been promised, but people were still coming forward, "so I'm presuming it's going to be closer to 30 which will be amazing."

Rosie had 15 versions of the toy which have all begun to break

People had also offered to fix the broken toys after they began to break "after so much usage."

"She doesn't completely understand everything that's going on, due to her condition, but when she can physically see all of them she will be really excited," Ms Wheel added.

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Lorraine Wheel, the girls' mother, added: "Josie and her sister have the strongest bond and Josie will do anything to make sure that Rosie is the happiest girl ever.

"I couldn't be more proud of her."