As you already know, I was diagnosed with DDH (Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip) a year ago when I was 16 months old. At first, Mummy and Daddy were devastated and it took them a long time to come to terms with what had happened to me and find the courage to start us all on the road to 'straightening me out' as Mummy used to say!

One of the things that made the biggest difference to us all at that time was support and information from 'Steps' charity who helped Mummy and Daddy to understand the treatment I would need and put us in touch with other families who supported us immensely. Through 'Steps' I have made lots of great friends suffering from the same condition as me and we have all helped and supported each other along the way. I would really like to raise some money for 'Steps' to help them carry on their great work supporting other families affected by lower limb conditions.

I had a femoral osteotomy in May 2012 which used metal pins to secure my hip back into its socket. Mummy said I was very brave and she was so proud of the way that I coped for the 6 weeks I was in my cast. She couldn't believe how quickly I adapted and was stunned when I even managed to walk in it just before it was removed!

I am now waiting for a procedure to remove the metalwork from my hip which is scheduled for March this year and really hope that this will be the end of the journey for me.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I hope you can spare some pennies to help support other children like me and my friends.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Lots of Love

Lara xxx