A little girl with cerebral palsy is recovering from an operation in the United States after her parents staked everything on giving their daughter “the best Christmas present ever”.
Three-year-old Charlotte Wakefield, from Corfe Mullen, flew 4,000 miles to Missouri on December 5 for a groundbreaking operation to help her walk unaided.
Charlotte’s mum, Kim, 38, opened her heart to the Daily Echo in October, telling the paper how she had seen an item on GMTV about leading-edge surgery at the St Louis Children’s Hospital.
She said that she and husband Steve, 45, were prepared to spend all of their savings and even re-mortgage their home in a bid to raise the estimated £40,000 cost of their daughter’s operation.
Now little Charlotte is recovering from an operation by leading surgeon, Dr T S Park, who carried out “selective dorsal rhizotomy” surgery to cut sensory nerve fibres in her spinal cord.
In an online diary Kim wrote that after the operation: “Dr Park came to see us at 11am to tell us things had gone well, we then went into recovery to see our lovely little girl finally!
“She went to the intensive care unit for 24 hours and was very well cared for.
“Mummy and Daddy found that a bit hard but she was on pain medication and valium in case of leg spasms so we knew she was in the best place.
“She got better every day and on Friday, Beth, the physical therapist, came to get her up. She was very wobbly and looked weak but liked being upright for a change!”
Three days after her operation, Charlotte was discharged from hospital, returning every day for physiotherapy.
On December 28, Kim wrote: “She has had some serial casting to help stretch the muscles back out in her legs.
“The spasicity has all gone but now the muscles have shortened so plaster casts will help stretch them back.”
The Wakefield family is set to return to Corfe Mullen next week.
A fundraising event will be held at Parkstone Trades and Labour club in February.
If you would like to support their fundraising bid, email Kim at kimedwards18@hotmail.com
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