Four-year-old Leo needs a special operation in America to ease the pain of his Cerebral Palsy and give him the chance of walking independently.

Leo is a very bright, energetic 4 year old boy who loves what most 4 year olds love! He adores playing with other children at nursery school and spending time with his (many) cousins and he loves it when someone holds him up so that he can kick a football!

Leo is a dab hand at wheelchair dancing and can out sprint most children on a flat surface. Without his wheelchair it is unfortunately much more difficult for Leo to play and he struggles to keep up.

Leo has painful cramping at night and when this happens he often wakes crying from the discomfort. His physiotherapist Jane describes this as the feeling of constant pins and needles.

The treatment Leo needs is called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy and involves cutting some of the sensory nerve fibres that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord. The complicated procedure reduces spasticity and it becomes easier for patients to increase strength with therapy and exercise. Children who have received the treatment can often start types of exercise that were impossible before.

The operation is not currently available on the NHS and the Centre for Cerebral Palsy Spasticity in St Louis, Missouri are the World’s leading specialists.

National charity, Caudwell Children, is supporting Leo and other children like him by raising money to fund ground breaking treatments and physiotherapy which can help children with Cerebral Palsy walk independently for the first time.

Anyone interested in helping the Help Leo 2 Walk Appeal is asked to contact Caudwell Children on 01782 600114 or to donate online visit www.justgiving.com/helpleo2walk

Important note to donors: As long as Leo requires funds to pay for treatment in the United States, Caudwell Children will manage all payments of funds for the family. All donations made will be added to the Caudwell Children SDR Fund and will be used to help Leo and other children with Cerebral Palsy in the UK receive this life-changing treatment.