The family, from
Gleneely, Killygordan, needs to raise a minimum of
€60,000 to send Paul for pioneering surgery in the
US.
"Since Paul could talk he always told me 'Mammy, I
want to walk'," said mum Anne Marie.
"It broke my heart to see him stuck in a wheelchair
not being able to run about with his brother and
sister or even to be able to pick up a toy from the
floor that he wanted to play with.
"As his mother, I always fought to get him the
services and therapies he needed. While the HSE gave
Paul what they could they could never offer him the
opportunity to be able to walk," she added.
The five year old has been approved for a procedure
called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy in St Louis
Hospital, Missouri. The operation involves the
severance of some of the nerves in the child's
spinal cord which are "misfiring the muscles in his
leg".
Neurosurgeons expect the boy will be able to walk
with crutches or a walking aid after the operation.
Meanwhile, singer Daniel will perform at the 'Mammy
I Want to Walk' fundraising dance at the Villa Rose
Hotel, Ballybofey, on December 28.
Tickets are priced at €30 with all proceeds going to
the cause. For more details call the Villa Rose
Hotel on 074 91 32266. |
