Little girl in wheelchair who learned to walk again

A LITTLE girl from Coventry has learned to walk again after a rare condition confined her to a wheelchair for three months.

In June, ten-year-old dancer Selah Neely was diagnosed with a brain and spinal condition which left her with so much pain in her feet she was unable to stand, let alone walk.

Three months later Selah went back to school and her friends and family began raising money for an operation that would change her life.

In just one month, a total of £11,344 was raised online to fund the £20,000 surgery, which Selah would have to travel to Spain for.

Among the supporters were Selah’s friends from the Allesley School of Dance, who made it their mission to get her back on the dance floor.

With the funds raised, plus further contributions from family, mum Rebecca and dad Scott took her to Barcelona for further assessment and consultation.

The next day, Selah went straight in for surgery and with only sedation and local anaesthetic needed it took less than an hour.

Incredibly, just hours after the operation she was on her feet for up to 30 seconds.

By day five she could walk again without any support.

Selah’s recovery from her condition, which goes by the medical term Chiari 1 Malformation, has been called ‘remarkable’ by specialists back in the UK.

One of her doctors, who had never heard of the research being done in Barcelona, is even hoping to publish a patient report so that the NHS will become aware of the treatment’s success.

Rebecca Neely said: “It was beautiful and humbling to experience the generosity of our community believing and supporting us in a difficult time.

“We want to express our thanks to all of the people who ran fundraisers and donated in various ways. To see our girl dancing and performing again is a wonderful answer to our prayers.

“We are now trying to raise awareness so that many other people with Chiari, Scoliosis and Syringomyelia could have this simple and effective treatment too.”