Four-year-old with cerebral palsy finishes run event

Four-year-old Maeve from Hampshire loves being in her garden, looking for creatures and playing on her slide like any inquisitive four-year-old.

Maeve was born 28 weeks prematurely in Winchester and diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before her second birthday. It means she finds it difficult to walk, to sit and to stand.

As a result, she is due to have life-changing surgery at Christmas that means she'll have to learn to walk again.

At the weekend, Maeve completed the Mini Great South Run, alongside her sister Demelza.

Maeve's family has been raising money to help with Maeve's recovery

The family has been raising money to help with Maeve's recovery and rehabilitation after her intense operation.

Maeve's mum Lindsey said: "I'm just so proud that she's been able to do this and that she's been able to do it with so many of her friends."

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) will see surgeons in Bristol cuts nerves at the base of Maeve's spine, to stop sending abnormal messages to her muscles.

Her father Dan, said: " We were tracking her developmental milestones and there were certain things that perhaps she wasn't hitting.

"They're going to sedate her and cut the nerve endings at the base of her spine to reduce the spasticity and tightness in her legs.

"So essentially, it's like pushing a big reset button to bring her back to the mobility of potentially a baby and then rebuilding from scratch."

Maeve is seen sitting in the centre alongside her family and friends after the run

For much of her young life, Maeve has had intense physiotherapy, although mum Lindsey says getting Maeve the support she needs has been difficult.

"It's just been tricky... Maeve falls in a grey area.

"She doesn't need her wheelchair all the time so that means she's not been able to access a lot of the resources other children with cerebral palsy can; so, a lot of government funding and school provision she can't access.

"So, we must fundraise so she can have physio which has helped. It feels like an uphill battle."

Maeve's operation is set to take place at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children before the end of the year, although the family is still waiting for an exact date.

The operation is being funded by the NHS and while it isn't a cure, Maeve and her family hope it will give her a better quality of life as she gets older.