The Bristol Post commented Joy as Bristol Children's Hospital to pilot to free surgery to…

Sam Rooke, pictured with son Jack

FOR years desperate families across Bristol have been raising thousands of pounds to pay for their child to undergo a life-changing operation to help them walk.

Some youngsters suffering from cerebral palsy struggle to walk without the surgery.

Despite the operation's impressive track record in helping sufferers walk unaided, it has never been available on the NHS

But now around 24 children each year, who live in the South West, will be able to undergo the surgery free of charge, thanks to a new pilot.

Bristol Children's Hospital has been announced as one of five centres which will evaluate the effectiveness of the operation during a two to three-year programme.

The Bristol Post has previously reported on dozens of families who have raised anywhere between 35,000 to 80,000 to pay for the treatment.

This procedure involves a neurosurgeon cutting nerves in the spinal cord to reduce the tightness in youngsters' legs.

Children, aged between three and 10, who suffer stiffness in their lower limbs, and meet the clinical criteria for treatment, will be able to apply.

Sam Rooke, whose five-year-old child Jack underwent the operation in January, said this was 'a step in the right direction'.

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The Bristol Post commented Joy as Bristol Children's Hospital to pilot to free surgery to...