In September, we blogged about selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), a type of spinal surgery that allows children with cerebral palsy to walk. The surgery, while expensive, often produces successful results.
After raising over £60,000, a family in the United Kingdom can send their son to the United States for the SDR operation. Nicholas Bamforth, 9, has cerebral palsy. He and his family hope that the SDR operation will allow him to walk and possibly play football for his school team, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
His family is planning on flying to the U.S. and staying for five weeks while he recovers from the operation. His family is still raising money to cover his physiotherapy that will likely continue long after the operation.
His mother Catherine said that the relief effort came at the perfect time.
“Nicholas has really deteriorated this year and he is in a wheelchair pretty much all of the time,” she said.
How SDR Works
People with cerebral palsy often cannot move their limbs because the spine is sending abnormal signals that cause spasms. Doctors can stimulate the spinal column, find out which nerves are sending the abnormal signals and sever the malfunctioning nerves. Other children who received the surgery can now walk, and in some cases even run and jump.
Since few insurance companies will pay for the procedure, many families cannot consider SDR as a possible treatment for cerebral palsy. Talk to us, and we can find ways to cover medical bills and other expenses related to your child’s cerebral palsy. Our first consultation is free.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – cerebral palsy attorneys
