Ilkley boy Ben Smithson's family must raise money for operation and aftercare (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Ilkley boy Ben Smithson's family must raise money for operation and aftercare

10:05am Thursday 10th June 2010 in

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An eight-year-old boy has the opportunity to receive life-changing surgery in January – if his family can raise more than £40,000 to send him to the United States.

Football-mad Ben Smithson, from Ilkley, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy aged two. But now he has been given the opportunity to undergo a major operation in an attempt to help him walk independently.

Ben, who goes to All Saints Primary school in Ilkley, has been accepted by a surgery in St Louis, Missouri, in January.

However, it will cost his family £45,000 to send him to the US for a month and pay for the operation and physiotherapy.

His family has started fundraising knowing they have little more than six months to reach their target and give Ben a vast improvement in his life if the operation is a success.

“I’m very nervous,” said Ben, who plays wheelchair basketball with the Leeds Spiders team. “I haven’t had an operation apart from when I had an operation on my eye.”

At the moment, Ben needs his sticks and a walker to help him walk, although he can manage a few steps unaided.

But his father Damian says the quality of life the operation will give Ben makes the price of the surgery worthwhile. “It’s about giving Ben his independence,” he said. “He uses his sticks mainly and sometimes his K-walker from day-to-day.

“But as he gets older and moves on to grammar school, and university and the rest of his life, he’ll need that independence.”

Mr Smithson said the family realised surgery was available in the US for Ben after seeing a similar story on TV and getting in touch with the family.

Surgeons hope to deactivate nerves which are not working properly meaning the only information sent to Ben’s muscles is correct.

The family has set up a website to help with the fundraising. Among the events planned is an auction, with a signed Michael Owen shirt to sell.

• If you want to help raise money for Ben’s trip, go to benswishtowalk.co.uk.