Footsteps 4 Oliver

This is Oliver.

Oliver is my cousin's son and was born 11 weeks premature. He is now two and a half years old, a much loved brother, son, nephew, grandson and great-grandson!

In April 2012 he was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebal Palsy and would never walk. At that point in time, he was uanble to do anything but lie on the floor as the world went on around him.

Oliver can't enjoy life like other children. He can't run around after a football, he can't dance, or play on a scooter with his adoring sister.

Though Oliver has progressed to being able to sit, crawl, and pull himself into a standing position, he is still unable to walk.

But a life-changing operation could fix that. 

Sadly, Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), the procedure that would change the lives of not just Oliver, but his entire family, is not available on the NHS.

The cost of the operation, post and pre-op physiotherapy, and a special trike to help strengthen his legs in preparation for the operation, is £60,000 (roughly US$91,722).

Obviously this is no small amount. It will take the donations, fund-raising and signal-boosting of a great number of kind-hearted people to raise such an amount: to change a little boy's life.

Which is why I have come to you.

Among you there are mothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, friendly neighbours and youth workers. You are people who know children, who understand the excitement and wonder that children find in everything.

His parents, Terry and Sal, are fundraising.
The Just Giving page, Footsteps 4 Oliver has been set up with children's charity Tree of Hope in order to generate the money needed for this life-changing operation.
There is also a Facebook page for updates on Oliver and the fundraising.

Please donate what you can.
If you can't afford to donate towards this cause, please signal-boost by sharing the page on Facebook, tweeting about it, blogging, Google+ing, telling your friends and family--anything you can do to help. All help is appreciated!

Oliver is a lovely, lively little boy and I'm sure he would give all of you a great big hug just for reading this post :)