A Wilmslow family are desperately fundraising so their three and a half year daughter can achieve her dream of walking by herself.
Charlotte Taylor has cerebral palsy. Along with her twin brother Daniel she was born 8 weeks early, whilst Daniel has no problems, unfortunately it was discovered that Charlotte had a bleed on the brain which resulted in her having quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Charlotte suffered a bleed to the brain, at sometime around birth, that caused damage to both sides of her brain.
Charlotte's father Cameron explained "Charlotte is currently is unable to walk unaided and faces the prospect of life in a wheelchair. We want to do everything we can to help Charlotte get up on her feet and enjoy all the things in life her twin brother can do and we all take for granted. Charlotte is a bright, bubbly little girl, that loves life but finds the frustration at not being able to join in incredibly difficult, and as parents it is heartbreaking to watch.
"We are currently fundraising for an operation in the USA called selective dorsal rhizotomy, ongoing therapy and equipment. Charlotte currently doesn't meet the criteria for this operation in the UK, however Dr Parks at St. Louis children's hospital in Missouri has helped thousands of children like Charlotte achieve their dream of walking by themselves."
The family are fundraising through a registered charity call The Tree of Hope, who pay for specialists, equipment, consultants and therapy directly, and if they are unable to use the money for any reason it reverts back into the general funds of The Tree of Hope to help other children in the same position as Charlotte.
Their goal is to raise £80,000 which would cover the cost of the operation, travel to America, and aftercare (which is incredibly important) including physiotherapy, specialist SDR aftercare, and equipment. It would also help them continue with ongoing therapy that has to date helped Charlotte to achieve a better standard of life, and equipment that is not covered by the NHS service.
To date the family have raised just over £30,000 with the help of friends, family and local businesses, including Unico Lounge who raised £717.50 for Charlotte by donating 50p from every burger and 10p from every coffee sold during one month of trading.
If you would like to help Charlotte realise her dream you can donate online at JustGiving or text donations HERW99 £amount to 70070.
