LIFE CHANGING
Surgery plans but £17k needed
The family of a five-year-old girl with cerebral palsy has set a date for her life-changing surgery – but still need to raise £17,000.
Palace Wood School pupil LilyMae Leadsham’s operation to reduce spasticity in her legs is pencilled in for November 17.
Lily-Mae missed out on NHSfunded trials and the family have to foot the bill for the £27,000 operation and £30,000 of aftercare.
Her mum Kerry and father Sam launched their fundraising campaign in March last year.
But they now have less than three months to find the rest of the money to cover costs of the spinal surgery and the extensive physiotherapy she will need afterwards.
Kerry, 31, from Finch Court, Ringlestone, said: “We have had to decline the operation four times because we haven’t had enough money to go ahead with it. The longer we wait the worse it gets for Lily-Mae.”
The special procedure, selective dorsal rhizotomy, will take place at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.
It involves a spinal cord operation that could eliminate the problems with her legs and one day enable her to walk without pain or difficulty.
Mother-of-three Kerry said: “The operation costs £27,000 but the rest of the money goes on the physio and care for afterwards. We have raised some of it but we have £17,000 left to raise. She needs the operation but obvi- ously if we don’t raise the rest of the money then the surgery is pointless.”
Lily-Mae, who was born prematurely was diagnosed with cerebral palsy aged two and has already proven her determination.
She learned to crawl when she was two and a half and is now able to walk with a frame, but still longs to do all the things other little girls do. A charity quiz night at the Six In One Club, in Tonbridge, will take place on Saturday, September 23 while Lily-Mae’s grandfather Patrick Burton will take part in a sponsored kayak along the Medway from Tonbridge to Maidstone.
If you would like to donate to help Kerry and Sam raise the rest of the cash for Lily-Mae’s surgery you can text “LILY04 £5” to 70070. Alternatively, donate online via tinyurl.com/lilylegs.