We think most of you know that our daughter, Bailey, was born very prematurely and as a result developed cerebral palsy, which makes her legs very stiff. We were told she would be unlikely to ever walk independently. Thankfully, Bailey is already surpassing expectations and is learning to walk with the help of tripods. However, her condition means that the stiffness will increasingly hinder her progress as she gets older and will ultimately limit her independence.  

Here is a link to recent clips of Bailey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcO1Rs4ywZU

There is an operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, where some of the sensory nerves in the spinal cord are cut, which will permanently reduce her stiffness. Dr Park, the Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at St. Louis Children's Hospital, USA, has pioneered the procedure in America and believes Bailey has a good chance of being able to walk unaided in all environments post surgery. This would be life changing for Bailey who at the moment cannot participate in many activities, which children her own age enjoy.

The surgery though is not an immediate cure. Bailey will need to undergo intensive physiotherapy for 3 weeks immediately following the surgery and will then need further physiotherapy for up to two years in the UK. As the operation is very expensive, we are hoping to raise the over £50,000 required for the surgery, associated expenses and intensive post op rehab The operation is to take place at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in April 2013.

In order to raise this amount, we need plenty of help and we are hoping you lend your support on some level.  

All contributions to help Bailey will be handled through our chosen charity Tree of Hope. They will ensure all funds raised will be used in their entirety to help with Bailey’s U.S. Medical expenses providing the opportunity for her to walk independently. 

We really do appreciate your support.

Kate, Steve, Parker and Bailey

P.S. To find out more about the surgery and it’s success stories please see

http://www.stlouischildrens.org/our-services/center-cerebral-palsy-spasticity/about-selective-dorsal-rhizotomy-sdr

http://www.support4sdr.org/Video.html

BAILEY STORY UPDATE:

This is a long overdue update as Bailey successfully
underwent her SDR operation in St.Louis in April 2013 thanks to generous donations from so many of you. 

Three years later Bailey has made significant progress
towards her goal of independent walking.  We have faced many challenges along the road to recovery and she has
continued to amaze us with her spirit and determination.  Bailey is now using walking poles instead of tripods indoors and is able to take 50-100 independent steps.  She is an independent swimmer, runs laps
around an athletic track in her walker and will challenge anyone at Wii
Dance.  She has far greater freedom of movement since the operation and is no longer inhibited by stiffness.  This has required intensive physiotherapy and strengthening and an enormous amount of hard work on Bailey’s part.   

We are so proud of her achievements and are fully committed
to helping her continue to progress with her walking.

All contributions to help Bailey will be handled through our
chosen charity Tree of Hope.  They will ensure all funds raised will be used to help with Bailey’s continued rehabilitation therapy as well as essential home adaptations to support Bailey’s independence at home.