Young boy will be able to open his Christmas presents himself for the first time

A North Tyneside schoolboy who is one of the first in the country to have treatment for a muscle-wasting disease will be able to open his own Christmas presents for the first time.

Sam McKie's family helped to campaign to make Spinraza available on the NHS - which is the drug used to treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Sam is already showing huge signs of improvement. Watch Katie Cole's report here:

• Related article: Boy starts treatment in the hope that one day, he'll learn to walk

What is spinal muscular atrophy?

The condition affects the nerves in the spinal cord, making muscles weaker and causing problems with movement, breathing and swallowing.

Where it develops in babies and toddlers, it can significantly reduce life expectancy.

Between 600 and 1,200 children and adults are currently living with the condition in England and Wales.