<p><span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Nine year old Ellie-Louise was born early at 29 weeks and weighed a tiny 2lbs 12oz. A little fighter, as soon as she was strong enough, she was let home from hospital to be cared for by her parents. <br> <br> As she got older, her parents noticed that there were certain development milestones that Ellie-Louise did not reach. A trip to the doctor saw her diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy. <br> <br> The most common form of cerebral palsy, it affects the lower abdomen, restricting movement in the pelvis down. One of the main symptoms Ellie-Louise deals with on a day to day basis is a tightness and pain in her muscles. She relies on a wheelchair to get around, and although she can walk with the aid of a frame, it is tiring and uncomfortable.<br> <br> However, there is hope for Ellie-Louise. Her parents were made aware of procedure called "Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy" (SDR), a surgical procedure on the spinal cord that can relieve the symptoms of SDCP. The operation is carried out by Dr. Parks, a top neurosurgeon at St Louis Childrens Hospital Missouri. To date he has carried out over 2000 operations with 100% success rate. <br> <br> As with all life changing proceedures it comes at a price. The operation will cost Ellie-Louise's parents in the region of &pound;45000. It's a lot of money, but a small price to pay for the chance for the bubbly schoolgirl to have a near normal life without pain and tightness in her legs - and for her to achieve her dreams of wearing pretty girly shoes and riding a pony. <br> <br> She's booked in for her operation in March 2012, but she needs your help to get her to America - and to help her dreams of taking her first painfree steps, come true. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For more information, check out Ellie's website: http://www.ellie-louisefundsdr.com/<br></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>