Brave toddler Bailey Joe Clay is his dad's inspiration for raising cash for youngsters worse off than himself.

The 14-month-old from Crossley Woods in Bingley suffers from a disfiguring condition which means he was born with boneless fingers and a big toe that looks like fleshy "bobbles".

In his short life Bailey Joe has already had one massive operation in which surgeons removed three of his "bobble" fingers on the right hand and the middle finger of his left one.

During the operation at St James's Hospital in Leeds, the remaining fingers on his left hand had to be broken, pinned and screwed. And surgeons had to cut into his leg to release a constriction there, which left him with a "shark bite" scar, said his dad.

Bailey Joe's condition is called Constricted Ring Finger, which happens when pieces of the sac in the womb fall off and wrap themselves round the limbs of the baby, restricting healthy growth.

Dad Mark, 33, said: "He has two thumbs and a finger that are normal. The other fingers he had broken and re-set will never work like proper fingers and he'll never grow nails. He spent six weeks in plaster and huge bandages after the operation in January and never really complained. He's done so well through it all."

Now Bailey Joe's family are waiting for the next operation when he will have his big toe amputated.

At the moment he cannot walk because the big toe has curled right under his foot making balance difficult, but doctors say once it is removed he will be able to learn to walk just like other children his age.

Paediatricians at Airedale General Hospital diagnosed Bailey Joe's condition soon after he was born four weeks prematurely, weighing just 5lbs.

"A plastic surgeon told us he wanted to operate because, otherwise, the fingers could turn blue and drop off which would put our son through terrible pain," said Mark.

It was while the family were at St James's that they felt moved by other children's plights and decided to raise funds to help youngsters worse off than Bailey Joe.

"It was humbling. We thought we had our troubles but there were so many others a worse state - especially those who were terminally ill," said Mark.

A race night at the Fisherman's pub in Wagon Lane, where Mark works part-time as a barman, raised £475 for the Dreams and Wishes project, which tries to fulfil the last wishes of terminally ill children. Another is planned for Saturday, October 16 and local businesses have provided raffle prizes.

After Bailey Joe's next operation it will be another three to four years before doctors review his condition and decide if any more can be done.

"Despite him just having two thumbs and a finger that work, he still manages to pick things up in his own way," said Mark. "He's never known any different and our only hope is he can go on to lead as normal a life as possible."