Kate Winslet donates to help Nottingham girl see the Northern Lights before she goes blind

Hollywood actress Kate Winslet has donated thousands of pounds to a Nottingham girl’s bucket list fundraiser. 

Lily-Rae, 11, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, an inherited eye condition that causes blurriness in the central part of the eye and eventual sight loss, in December.

The disease, which gets worse over time, affects one in 10,000 people according to the Macular Society. 

Read more: Your Nottingham

Lily-Rae’s mum, Emma, set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her daughter to see sights including the Northern Lights and Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. 

Earlier this week the family were shocked to receive a £5,000 donation from Oscar winner Winslet. 

On GoFundMe, the Titanic star said: "Wishing Lily-Rae some magical adventures so she can make many special memories to treasure! With lots of Love, Kate Winslet and family."

In an interview with BBC Radio Nottingham, Lily-Rae said: “"I want to see the Northern Lights, even if it's just one time.

"I want to go up the Eiffel Tower; I am horrified of heights but I would not care if I can see the beautiful view at night."

Lily-Rae can only see from three metres of less and has to use font size 64 when reading from her laptop. 

She is currently learning to read using braille and it’s hoped that some of her peripheral vision will remain.