The Sentinel commented Fundraising events planned to help Silverdale youngste Ben…

BID: Ben Baddeley with mum Amy.

THE parents of a nine-year-old disabled boy denied a life-changing operation on the NHS are fundraising to have the surgery carried out privately.

Ben Baddeley, of Madeley Street in Silverdale, had been due to receive treatment for his spastic diplegia cerebral palsy today.

But The Sentinel revealed earlier this month that the procedure at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham was cancelled at the last minute due to a lack of funding.

Now his parents are trying to raise more than 20,000 to ensure Ben can still have the operation.

And they have been overwhelmed by the number of strangers who have come forward with offers of raffle prizes or other assistance to help them reach their target.

Amy, aged 29, said: "I put his story on Facebook and asked people to help. The page has now attracted over 700 'likes'. He was supposed to be in theatre today so he's built himself up for that and now it's not happening.

"The operation would change his life. He's in so much pain. His condition means he gets painful back and muscle spasms."

Ben's health problems stem from when he was starved of oxygen during childbirth. His condition means the brain tells his muscles to tighten when they do not need to, making it difficult for Ben to move.

The procedure, known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), would relieve the pain he is in. Without it, Ben who has trouble walking unaided will have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

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The Sentinel commented Fundraising events planned to help Silverdale youngste Ben...