Morgan’s family hope op will rid him of agonising pain in his legs

A 10-YEAR-OLD boy who suffers constant pain told his mum he wanted to get rid of his legs to escape the agony.

Morgan Kavanagh was born with diplegia cerebral palsy, a condition known as Little’s disease, which left the muscles in his legs constantly tight and painful.

It’s left him needing to use a walker, splints and a wheelchair to get around and struggling to keep up with other children his age.

The pain is so bad, he wakes up most nights in agony and has to take muscle medication four times a day.

His mum Jade, 32, from Cardiff, said: “He wants to play with other lads his age.

“But he knows he is not like other boys. He gets on with it the best that he can. He wants to push and push.

“He has told me he would rather not have any legs at all.

“It is so hard to see him in pain and wish I could take the pain away from him.

“It’s hard to raise a child even if they have a disability or not but when you have a disabled child it’s harder to know they are in pain and you can’t help them.

“He is getting older now and it’s more in his life and he is more aware of it and what’s wrong with him.”

Morgan’s situation is complicated by the fact he also suffers acalasia, a gullet disorder, that means he can struggle to eat and keep food down.

Doctors say Morgan’s best chance at walking unaided and without pain is a specialist operation – selective dorsal rhiztomy.

The procedure involves cutting nerve fibres at the base of the spinal cord which should relieve the tension in Morgan’s legs, giving him a high chance of walking freely.

The operation, although widely available in the US, is not available on the NHS.

Mum of five Jade said doctors have tried everything, including botox injections, to help Morgan’s legs but nothing has worked.

However, the surgery is considered to be relatively high risk and Morgan’s age means he is more likely to develop complications.

Despite this, Jade said: “I’ve read up about it that the risks are less when they have it done younger.

“I totally understand the risks but if there’s anything that may help him to be pain free as his mum I need to make the decision.

“This operation may help and may have further risks along the line but at the moment my baby boy is still in pain and I just want the best for him.”

The family is looking to raise £60,000 to fund the surgery which they hope to have done in the UK.

If they can’t they will try to go abroad.

Morgan will need intensive physiotherapy to recover from the procedure which takes about six hours.

Any money left over will go to the Tree of Hope charity, an organisation that raises money for children needing specialist treatments.

To donate visit www.justgiving. com/ fundraising/ morgankavanagh