A FUNDRAISING campaign to help a little girl with cerebral palsy take her first steps has been launched this week.

Layla Moger, who lives in Toothill was born with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy which affects the movement of her legs and left arm.

It is hoped that an operation, called a selective dorsal rhizotomy, will allow the resilient toddler to walk unaided for the first time.

The operation along with two years of aftercare costs £50,000 with the Moger family potentially having to travel to America for the surgery.

The Westlea Preschool pupil fits the medical criteria for the life-changing operation, but with the NHS no longing funding SDR, the Moger family are appealing for the public’s help.

Layla’s family, led by parents Kelly Marie Smith and Joe Moger, have launched the Steps For Layla campaign, to ensure Layla will be able to take her own first steps.

“I want Layla to have the quality of life that she doesn’t have at the moment, I want her to have her independence and I think the operation can give her that, that is why we need the help,” Kelly Marie said.

“I hope that Layla will one day be able to be, Layla. She is so busy all of the time with physio so I just want her to be a normal little girl, this operation will change her life.”

And proud mum Kelly Marie hopes the public will take their own fundraising steps to give Layla the chance to walk unaided.

“The younger she is the more she will benefit from the surgery. We hope that we can do it for Layla and we hope that people will support us on our journey.”

When Layla was born three weeks prematurely in August 2012 there was no indication that anything was seriously wrong with the red-headed toddler.

“She arrived early and she had what is called a pocket cyst on her brain. Layla stayed in special care and we took her home, we were told to keep an eye on her but we thought she was okay,” Kelly Marie said.

When her concerned parents noticed she wasn’t meeting her developmental milestones at 13 months old a battery of tests confirmed Layla had the condition

“We noticed she wasn’t crawling but pulling herself forwards like someone in the army would crawl. It was a worry but you never think it will be like this.

“I was devastated, heartbroken as any parent would be. But I decided to help her as much as I could and she’s come on so well.”

Thanks to daily physio and swimming sessions with Kelly Marie along with time in her specialist Kaye walker Layla is making good progress.

Proud mum Kelly Marie praised her daughter’s strength of spirit.

“She’s a bubbly, social girl. She loves dancing, singing along to Frozen and playing with her dollies. She doesn’t let anything hold her back and she has so much to give. She just gets on with it.”

Steps For Layla will hold a fundraising Zumbathon at the Toothill Community Centre this Sunday from midday. A boxing event will also be held at the Grange Park Leisure Centre on February 20 which supporters will be fundraising at.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/steps4layla/

For information search Steps For Layla on Facebook or email stepsforlayla@outlook.com