Revolutionary surgery puts spring in step of boy with cerebral palsy

The determined nine-year-old, from Holton-le-Clay near Grimsby, who has celebral palsy, was unable to walk without the help of a frame until his parents learned about the surgery available in America while watching TV.

Physiotherapy had allowed Jake to control some of his muscles but he relied on his Rollator frame, which could wrap around his back or front and support his weight, to shuffle short distances or he had to use a wheelchair.

Bowled over by the possibility the surgery could help their son, parents Tina, 31, and Gavin, 33, did more research and then raised the huge sum required for Jake to have the procedure under renowned surgeon Dr Tae-Sung Park at St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri.

Mrs Storr explained: "We'd never even been mentioned this operation by any doctor or consultant here and then we saw this child who'd had it on TV and started looking into it."

They managed to raise the five-figure sum by March this year, after starting last October.

The four-hour surgery, called selective dorsal rhizotomy, took place on March 9.

Jake then spent six weeks having physiotherapy before the family came home.

Now, seven months later, he can take 10 steps unaided and is getting stronger every day, his mother said.