A Greenhithe woman has told of how the heart breaking plight of a nine-year-old boy who fled Syria alone after watching his brother's execution inspired her to travel to the Greek islands and help asylum seekers on the front line.

Laura Teisler-Goldsmith is flying to Chios – a small island close to the Turkish coast - today (February 18) to join the beach rescue team there.

The mum-of-two, who lives in Ingress Park, will stay on the island until the end of the month – providing clothes, foil blankets and medical attention to asylum seekers arriving in boats.

Mrs Teisler-Goldsmith, 40, told News Shopper: "Just yesterday there were lots of boats arriving. The island is already packed.

"There were lots of very sick children on the boat. There was a little boy who was already dead when he arrived on the shore. It's heart breaking."

Mrs Teisler-Goldsmith regularly visits Calais and said after hearing the stories of several migrants who had fled war-torn countries, she realised she could not ignore the "tragedy" happening overseas.

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Picture: PA

She added: "I was listening to the story of a boy who was nine years old and had to do the journey on his own.

"His brother got beheaded in front of his whole family by ISIS, because there was some fee and they couldn’t afford to pay it.

"So the family put some money together to ship him off. At nine years old, it's such a horrific situation.

"To sit on the boat thinking 'I do not know if I am going to survive or not', and then to walk all the way to Calais.

"I do not think many European kids would be able to do that.

"These kids deserve the same care, the same love, the same dignity as anyone else's children."

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Laura and Mark Teisler-Goldsmith

Mrs Teisler-Goldsmith, who has a background in law, first did aid work 13 years ago – when she helped homeless young women, many of whom were victims of sexual abuse within their families, in Rio de Janeiro.

She said: "I have a friend who volunteered in Leros. She sent me an email.

"It was horrific to read. It makes me cry just remembering what she said.

"Growing up, if something is going wrong you try to contribute to put it right."

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Mrs Teisler-Goldsmith has received some negative reaction to her aid work, but said she and her husband Mark Teisler-Goldsmith are also involved in projects helping homeless people in the UK.

She added: "The situation presented itself and I just couldn't not respond.

"There is a tragedy happening and you can't just sit there and not do anything.

"I'm just trying to do my almost insignificant little part."

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Mrs Teisler-Goldsmith (centre) at a fundraising event

The long-term hope is to improve the quality of life for migrants forced to live in sub-par conditions, and Mrs Teisler-Goldsmith has been fundraising at home for some months now.

She added: "There were kids who were falling into toilets in the dark because they couldn't see anything - so we made a campaign for 1,000 lights and sent it to the island.

"Little things make a lot of difference.

"Since October 2015, we have sent about 145 boxes which were full of packs for the kids and some adults.

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Just some of the boxes of clothes and other items sent to migrants abroad

"The fantastic thing is one event a few weeks ago was a real success. The local community is coming round and supporting us.

"This is going to be an ongoing situation. Whilst I am on the island I have some meetings.

"They need financial support because we can't transfer food and medicine over.

"I will be talking to some people, to see how that can work.

"£8 provides 16 hot meals. It's not crazy figures.

"I am going to be working within that rescue team - establishing some kind of help with their medical needs."