Fundraising marathon for Warwick boy's surgery

Lincoln is hoping he will get the chance to ride a bike and play football after having surgery

A father will take on an overnight marathon to raise money for potentially life-changing surgery for his seven-year-old son.

Lincoln, from Warwick, has cerebral palsy which restricts his mobility and causes stiffness, spasms and pain.

He uses a wheelchair to get about but a procedure - not funded by the NHS - could help him to walk.

Lincoln's dad Simon, 46, and his teenage brother William, 17, will walk 26 miles from sundown on 21 July.

It will take them on a tour of Warwickshire countryside.

The planned procedure is Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), an operation that aims to reduce spasticity in the lower limbs.

The spinal surgery cuts the nerve rootlets in the spinal canal that are sending abnormal signals to the muscle.

However, £22,000 is needed to enable Lincoln to have the procedure in Liverpool, at Alder Hey Children's hospital, his family says.

"Lincoln missed so many firsts in his first five years and continues to do so," said his mother Sarah, 41.

'Tenacious streak'

She added: "He said he is looking forward to all the things he can do, like riding a bike, playing football, and even carrying a glass of water without spilling it.

"He has a tenacious stubborn streak which just makes him even more determined."

So far, the family has raised almost £11,000 thanks to donations and fundraising events.