Me and Annie are running Chester Half Marathon on the 19th May (partly because we’re crazy and partly because she signed us up for it so I felt obliged!)

We have decided to hopefully raise some money towards ‘Eliza’s SDR Journey’ through doing this. Eliza is my beautiful and brave 4 year old god daughter. Eliza is full of character... she is free spirited, strong willed, kind, funny and a lil bit feisty. She has an infectious smile and the ability to have anyone wrapped around her little finger. She is adored by everyone that knows her. We are helping to raise the £60,000 needed for Eliza to have life changing SDR surgery which is not available on the NHS in Wales.

💚 Eliza was born prematurely at 29 weeks and as a result of infection, suffered a brain injury. As Eliza developed she was missing milestones, and at 18 months she was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy, meaning that her legs are mainly affected. As a result of the Cerebral Palsy, Eliza’s legs are stiff, limiting her mobility and making everyday activities very difficult.

Eliza, now 4 years old, cannot walk unaided, although she has taken independent steps. In the last year, Eliza’s physical development has been slow and more tasks are becoming difficult for her. She gets frustrated when she can’t keep up with her siblings and peers.

Eliza has been assessed by specialists in Bristol and is a candidate for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy(SDR) Surgery, which will take away Eliza’s spasticity (stiffness) permanently. This will allow Eliza to walk more independently, improving both mobility and function, enabling her to move more freely in everyday tasks. It will also take away the pain caused by muscle spasms and stiffness. This would all have a massive positive impact on Eliza’s quality of life.

Unfortunately SDR surgery is not available to Welsh patients on the NHS so all of Eliza’s assessments, the operation in Bristol, post operative care, vital therapy including intensive physio and equipment will need to be self-funded. The post operative therapies and equipment will be fundamental to Eliza’s recovery ensuring that she can be as strong as possible to enable her to reach her full potential. We would be so grateful if you could help in anyway you can 💚

Eliza was born a fighter and will keep fighting to have a life without limits✨