When nine-year-old Ashley Vanristell was told he had a blood disorder that would kill him unless he had expensive treatment that his parents could never afford, he did not despair. He turned to a Christmas magic kit to conjure up the cash he needed.

Ashley, who lives with his Anglo-Indian family in a Mumbai slum, was gravely ill with pneumonia when doctors discovered that he was one of thousands of Indian children born with a hereditary immune disorder. The condition means his body cannot resist the many infections common in India without monthly transfusions of purified gamma globulin.

His parents, Andrea and Clive, who are descended from British railway workers in India, were told the cost of saving his life would be about £800 a month, more than double his father’s wage as a labourer on a Gulf oil rig.

Ashley’s illness forced his parents to stop him playing in the street. Instead he watched television all day and developed a fascination with the show of David Blaine, the magician. When Father Christmas brought him a magic set, he had an idea.

“He was six and had been practising with his magic set and getting good at it,” his mother said. “He started performing for neighbours and friends. Then one day he came into the kitchen and asked: ‘Mummy, why don’t I do magic to earn money for my treatment?’ ” She agreed. Ashley started taking bookings for birthday parties and was soon appearing before local politicians and television personalities.

He has since had parts in Bollywood films and has become the face of Dulux paint and Surf washing powder in television commercials.

However, companies in India pay tiny one-off fees to actors in advertisements. Dulux paid him about £500. So Ashley still relies on his magic show to make money, while his mother dresses as a clown and acts as his assistant. He charges £25 for his shows and uses them to find sponsors for his treatment.

Last week he performed at India’s National Festival of Magic with rapid-fire tricks and illusions. India’s top magicians helped to raise £350, which he will use to launch the Ashley Hypogammaglobulinemia Foundation Trust to promote cheaper treatment and help other children.

Ashley said he would like to direct action movies when he was older. By then he will need at least double his dose of imported antibodies. “It will be a little hard for my daddy and mummy. They’ll have to do lots of work, but I’m a magician and I’ll do more magic shows,” he said.

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