DARCEY’S CHANCE

Darcey is aged 4 and has Cerebral Palsy. She can only just walk unaided for a small amount of time, she uses a frame and wears splints to aid her. After numerous tests and appointments over the last three years at Great Ormond Street, she has finally in March been granted an SDR operation which is funded by the NHS.

Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery is a procedure that treats muscle spasticity caused by abnormal communication among the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. It corrects muscle spasticity by cutting the nerve rootlets in the spinal cord that are sending abnormal signals to the muscles. The family hope that this surgery helps Darcey enormously.

Darcey’s mum says: “To be accepted for this operation on the NHS you have to fulfil extremely specific criteria, and we have worked really hard at building Darcey’s strength over the last 12 months to help achieve our aims, so we are very pleased.

“However to ensure the best recovery and outcome post-op, the doctorsrecommend 18-24 months of private physio (twice a week - which is a hugecost of approximately £180 per week). This will be quite a strain onthe family, and I really want to ensure it isn’t.”

Darcey’s family have a few fundraising events planned, the main one being held at The Red Lion, Wendover on 26 September this year.

If you would like to donate online, Darcey’s page is www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ darceyschance. Any support you can offer is welcome.