Olivia’s wish... to walk

Photo: Anthony Miller

FUNDRAISING hope: little Olivia with mum Christie.

BEING able to walk without a frame is top of little Olivia Berry’s Christmas wish list this year.

But the loveable four-year-old knows that unless her family can raise £25,000 for physiotherapy and a life-changing operation, her wish won’t come true.

Olivia, from Chadderton, has Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy, which means she struggles against tight muscles that force her to use a walking frame. Even sitting down is painful.

Mum Christie (21) said: “Olivia is just like every other four year old. She wants to play with her friends and walk on her own. She gets frustrated when she can’t do everything she wants to.

“I think she has started to notice it more now she has started school and is with more children.

“It’s little things like not being able to go on the play equipment at the park or needing more help to get around. It really upsets her. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

Olivia, a pupil at Yew Tree Community School, is a good candidate for an operation to allow her muscles to move more freely. The procedure, and intensive physiotherapy, would allow her to stand and walk unaided. But she is currently too weak for the operation and needs physiotherapy to prepare her.

Christie explained: “Olivia is only entitled to an hour of physio a fortnight on the NHS, and it’s not enough. She needs a lot more sessions and therapies to build up her strength before she can have the operation. We decided to start raising money now to make sure she she can get the procedure before it is too late and she is wheelchair bound.”

Olivia, who turns five on New Year’s Day, is already being backed by her school, which organised a Christmas party for pupils and their families to help raise money.

The family, including Olivia’s stepdad Paul, will also host a fundraising event at North Chadderton Bowling and Social Club on February 5.

Christie said: “Olivia wants to walk by herself and play football for Chadderton Park’s Cerebral Palsy football team without her frame. We’ll do everything we can to make her wish come true.”

To donate to Olivia’s Wish to Walk fund visit www.justgiving.com/oliviaswish.