AN APPEAL to help cerebral palsy sufferer Jayden-Vito Mazzotta-Drapper walk for the first time unaided and without pain is just a few pounds short of the £9,000 mark, thanks to a fun Easter extravaganza on Sunday.

The festivities at Kembrey Park saw scores of children take a chance at Hook-a-Duck and make a stop at the face-painting stall, and raised £497 towards a life-changing operation for Jayden.

The three-year-old from Walcot was diagnosed with spastic diplegia at the age of one, a muscle-stiffness which prevents him from standing on his legs or walking without the support of a frame.

His family have set out to collect £35,000 to cover the cost of a complex operation, which would enable the little boy to recover full use of his legs, and the subsequent months of physiotherapy.

“It went really well considering the weather,” said his mother Charlene. “We are just under £9,000 so it’s going up. There is still a long way to go but we are on the right track.

“We are constantly thinking about what to do next and we want to arrange another fun day and a disco.

“We want Jayden to be able to walk and be more comfortable. He has had quite a bit of pain in his legs and the operation will be the best thing for him.

“He can’t get the operation until he turns four but he will be four in January so we are hoping it can happen soon after that.”

To donate towards the operation visit The Jayden-Vito Fund Facebook group or go to www.justgiving.com/Charlene-Mazzotta.