A FAMILY has received the gift of a lifetime.

Doctors have ruled that four-year-old Nicole Vendettuoli is fit enough to undergo major surgery which could transform her life.

The operation should enable the cerebral palsy sufferer, who wants to be a ballerina, to walk unaided for the first time.

Nicole's mum, Candice, said she and husband Tom were "absolutely ecstatic".

The complex privately-funded operation will take place in the spring.

"Nicole had been for assessment three times before and each time it was a 'no' so to be told 'yes' was the best news ever," said Mrs Vendettuoli , of Exley Head, Keighley.

"She now wants to be able to run and to ride a bike."

Nicole was born three months premature and had a brain haemorrhage, which led to her cerebral palsy.

Since June this year she has been managing to walk with the help of a wheeled mobility support frame, called a Kaye Walker.

Her family, friends and other supporters previously staged a fundraising campaign to get enough money to send her to the US for life-changing medical treatment.

Among the activities they organised were a fun day and fire walk, a night of entertainment at the Octagon club in Sandbeds, a football tournament, supermarket bag packing, a sponsored parachute jump and a 24-hour snooker tournament.

Bradford singer Gareth Gates was among those who backed the campaign.

The fundraisers were together able to collect £30,000, and already have enough money as the operation can now be carried out much closer to home – at Leeds General Infirmary.

Mrs Vendettuoli said: "Nicole has started to walk using the Kaye Walker and she's doing really well.

"For her to be able to have the operation, doctors needed to see she had the ability to improve her strength.

"The operation itself will cost £14,000 but after that there will be up to six months of intensive physiotherapy.

"Her operation will be very invasive as it'll be like giving her a brand new pair of legs.

"They don't want to promise too much, but the likelihood is that Nicole will eventually be able to walk unaided."

She said that in the lead-up to the operation, Nicole will receive even more physiotherapy and will be starting swimming and horse riding.

She is attending nursery and is due to join Oakworth Primary's reception class in September next year.

Mrs Vendettuoli added: "She is very strong and she has been around doctors all her life so understands what they do. She is really looking forward to being able to move more easily.

"Nicole is ready for the operation now but her health through the winter is still poor due to recurrent pneumonia. To be safe and to give her the best chance of success during the physio after the op, we've decided to go ahead in May next year."

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