Brave Evie walking freely after operation
A brave youngster has undergone a life-changing operation in the hope it will help her walk again unaided.
Eight-year-old Evie Poole, from Cannock, has cerebral palsy.
The youngster walked with the aid of a frame prior to the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy operation at Leeds General Infirmary hospital in September 2013.
But over the past 12 months Evie, who now lives and goes to school in Market Drayton, has been able to get around without the use of the frame and takes more and more steps independently.
Her father, Jonathan, said: "Her walking has come on amazing. She is walking independently and she is getting about all over the place.
"We have done a lot this year. She had a few confidence problems. We knew she could walk but she just lacked confidence in herself and wanted someone to stand next to or behind her."
Evie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition which causes problems with movement and co-ordination, before her first birthday.
However, hope was in sight when her parents, Jonathan and his wife Jayne, found out she was suitable for corrective surgery.
They set up a fundraising campaign, which became known as Evie's Butterfly Fund, in February 2013. The response was sensational and within six months an incredible £49,000 was raised by people in and around Market Drayton through a series of fundraising events.
After the target was reached reaching their target, people continued to want to raise funds for Evie, and the money has been used to help pay for her physiotherapy.
Her family, which also includes her brother Will, 6, moved from Cannock in the summer. "I think we were all a bit worried to start off with but both of them love it, and for Evie the world is her oyster," Mr Poole added.
