A THREE-YEAR-OLD from Wareham hopes to ‘jump in muddy puddles’ for the first time if her family can raise £50,000 for an operation.

Roxy Berry has Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy, meaning that the muscles in her legs are tight, leaving her unable to walk by herself without her frame or sit or stand upright by herself.

However, parents, Gina, 35, and dad, Colin, 42, have been told that an operation, Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), would give her chance to take her first steps un-aided.

The family, with the help of Roxy’s twin-sister, Willow, have already raised £3,000 towards the cost, thanks to donations from companies and individuals, but are looking for more help.

Asked what she would like to do if the money was raised and she successfully had the operation, Roxy replied that she would like to ‘Play with my sister in the garden and jump in muddy puddles.’ Gina said: “Roxy can crawl and she can kneel up, but she can’t sit very well and she can’t stand up by herself at all.

She added: “She has splints, which she calls ‘Special legs’, which she has to wear every day to help correct how she places her feet.

“She needs to have the SDR, which will involve cutting into her spine as it will help straighten and bring her feet back down flat again.

“I believe that the doctors don’t like to do this operation before the child is at least four to give them a chance to see what they can do. Some children with Roxy’s condition do learn to stand and walk, but for her, without the operation, it will never happen.”

Gina said that while the operation was originally founded in America, it has been brought to the UK and is offered at Great Ormond Street Hospital, but is not available on the NHS for Roxy.

The family will have a charity stall on Wareham Quay for six weeks from July 23, as part of the Wareham Wednesdays event.

Visit justgiving.com/RoxyBerry