THE parents of a two-year-old girl from North Yorkshire with a rare spinal condition are desperate to fund a life-changing operation that could help her to walk.
When Millie Hibberd was born a little over two years ago she had no health concerns and wasn't until she was about six or seven months old and couldn't sit up by herself, that her mum and dad, Scott and Rhian, realised something was wrong.
Rhian said: "As Millie has grown, its become clear she's unable to effectively use her legs due to spasticity.
"She uses a standing frame as she can't stand independently and gets around mainly by commando crawling.
"She's a determined little girl, works hard on her home physio and always has a smile on her face."
Following months on waiting lists, Millie's MRI results confirmed that she has syringomyelia, a rare disorder which sees fluid-filled cyst forms within the spinal cord.
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"Initially we struggled to get her seen by professionals because it was Covid times," said Rhian, "We took her to a private physio just before her first birthday and they thought she might have cerebral palsy.
"We were put on an eight month wait for an MRI and that's when they realised she has syringomyelia - it's very rare and we didn't know what it was and the doctors didn't know exactly how to help her."
The couple, both 33, who live in Church Fenton near Selby and work as analysts, say an operation is not available on the NHS and they are fundraising to take Millie to an institute in Barcelona which specialises in the disorder.
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Surgeons intend to perform a spinal surgery to release pressure on the spinal cord in order to stop the disorder from progressing further, which may also relieve Millie's current symptoms giving her a chance to learn to walk and become more independent.
The procedure comes at a cost of about £20,000 and they have so far raised more than £14,500 via a JustGiving page.
Rhian said: "We are asking for help, which isnt an easy thing to do but you will do anything for your child and we need this surgery to give Millie hope for a better future.
"If you can donate any small amount towards her surgery and physio and equipment costs or even just share this link, we would be forever grateful.
"Thank you to all our friends and family who have already been supporting us on our journey.
"Regardless of how successful the operation is, Millie will need physio for the next two years afterwards."
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