Grace takes first assisted steps after £50k operation to help her walk
�50,000 has been raised for Grace Windram to have an operation which will enable her to walk.
A FIVE-year-old girl is recovering from major surgery which has already led to her incredible first supported steps.
Grace Windram, who has cerebral palsy, flew to America 10 days ago with her family for the £50,000 operation which was brought forward to Tuesday last week.
Via her fund-raising page, her parents Helen and Gavin Windram, from Kingsthorpe, have updated supporters with news that the surgery went well.
They have since added that the little girl has taken her first steps following tough surgery.
The update read: “Grace took her first shaky steps yesterday. She has flat feet which is incredible. We are so proud of her.
“Since she was unable to walk at all, Grace walking with a frame or crutches is an utter miracle and we are very proud of her.”
She added that the “excellent team” released Grace after a week to allow her to move as much as possible, which will speed up her recovery.
She is now recovering at the hotel in St Louis with her family but returning to the hospital daily for tough physiotherapy, which is vital following the selective dorsal rhizotomy, which to get Grace walking on her own.
On Valentine’s Day she will undergo another operation to release her hamstrings and heel chords.
It is expected that Grace will have to complete years of physiotherapy to strengthen her muscles before she can walk alone.
The family, including Grace’s younger sister Amelia, will spend five weeks in America while Grace recovers.
The family spent around five months fund-raising for the operation, after the private clinic gave the go ahead for Grace to undergo the surgery, which she is not illegible for under the NHS.
But the fund-raising will continue for the next few years to help the family meet the costs of private physiotherapy care, estimated at around £15,000-a- year.
At Grace’s sending off party, Helen said: “This is a life-changing operation and we can’t put into words how grateful we are for the generosity of everyone who has helped us.
“It will be a whole new world for Grace, and for the family.”
To donate visit www.gracesfund.org
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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