Spinal surgery boosts Leeds teenager's professional dancing dreams

Mia Wright has managed to carry on dancing since being diagnosed with scoliosis as a child

A 14-year-old girl hopes to fulfil her dream of becoming a professional dancer after having an operation to correct a curvature of her spine.

Some £35,000 was raised in six weeks for Mia Wright, who has scoliosis, to undergo specialist surgery in Turkey.

The NHS only offers fusion surgery, which would leave her with reduced flexibility and put an end to dancing.

Godmother Suzie Little said the operation took place on Friday and had surpassed the surgeon's expectations.

A day after he surgery she was walking around

Ms Little, from Harrogate, said: "It's been a huge success and has gone better than even the doctors expected.

"This was the only option to enable Mia to continue her dancing career.

"While the fusion surgery does provide a degree of flexibility, it would be a problem for someone who wants to be professional dancer but now Mia has every chance to achieving that."

Mia, from Leeds, was diagnosed with the condition when she was eight but has danced throughout her whole life, taking part in regional productions.

The teenager will have to take a rest from dancing for three months

But her condition began to deteriorate leading to a race against time to raise the money to enable her to undergo the life-changing 12 hour surgery at a spinal centre by the end of September.

Ms Little said: "It was just in the nick of time because when she got to Turkey the curve had worsened by 20 degrees, which is massive, so that changed the goal posts.

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"She's been through a lot and is such a remarkable girl who has kept her sense of humour despite everything.

"She has to rest for three months now so that obviously means no dancing, which she's not very happy about."

Ms Little added that fundraising would have to continue to enable Mia to fly back to Turkey for follow-up checks and that she was taking part in a cycle challenge in a bid to raise £1,000.