We have raised the money required for Bella to have her operation - this page is for any donations towards physiotherapy and equipment pre and post op.

We are raising money for our 6 year old daughter, Bella, to have Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital - currently this is not available on the NHS.

Bella was born with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy - caused by a brain injury, this affects the control of leg movement and co-ordination. We don't know why Bella was born with Cerebral Palsy and have had to come to terms with never knowing. Bella uses a wheelchair but can use a walking frame for very short distances when fully supervised.

Although life is difficult - Bella is the sweetest, kindest, funniest little girl I have ever met (I might be a bit biased) She is brave and strong and has taught us what is important in life - but she wants to walk, she smiles through every hospital appointment, physio session, injection and serial casting because she believes it will be worth it in the end. When Bella is an adult I want to be able to tell her that we did everything we could to achieve her dream.

SDR is a neurological procedure that reduces the stiff muscles - it's not a cure for Cerebral Palsy and we cannot predict the outcome. Currently Bella cannot stand or walk unaided at all, we have seen similar children walking completely unaided after surgery. The effects of the operation are permanent. As well as the procedure intense physiotherapy is essential to achieve the maximum results - this is not covered by the NHS. Although the improvements will be instant, it could take 2 years for the outcome to be clear, but this could mean independence- going to clubs without a helper!

The money raised will be used solely for the operation, (which is around £26,000) aftercare, travel and intense physiotherapy before and following the operation.

Thank you for reading.