Three-year-old girl takes first steps after life-changing operation

A three-year-old girl from South Gloucestershire with Cerebral Palsy has taken her first steps after undergoing surgery in America.

Ezzy Hodge from Thornbury travelled across the Atlantic for treatment after a campaign to raise £80,000 to pay for a life-changing operation.

Ezzy was born 11 weeks early and spent her first 6 weeks in intensive care.

It was only last year that her family began to realise she had suffered brain damage.

By this year, Ezzy too had started to notice she was different from other children at nursery because of her Cerebral Palsy.

The family's big hope was a new type of spinal operation, to loosen Ezzy's muscles enough for her to walk by herself.

The catch was that it was only available in America, with the full treatment costing £80,000.

Ezzy's parents launched a fundraising campaign, and even Ezzy was was out and about, shaking a bucket.

The money poured in, much of it from total strangers.

By the autumn, the family had the money, and on 19 September, Ezzy finally had the surgery.

She continued to have physical therapy to strengthen her legs.

Ezzie has slowly built her confidence in walking.

Remarkably, Ezzy has now taken her first steps on her own.

Her family shared the milestone on Facebook.

For more on Ezzy's story visit the campaign's Facebook page or to donate head to JustGiving.

You can find more information about Cerebral Palsy on the NHS website.