Angmering Sophie’s plea to stay standing

A massive community fund-raising campaign sent Angmering tot, Sophie Nugent, to the USA for a life-changing operation last year, but her family needs one more push to pay for the return trip, and follow-up treatment.

The cerebral palsy sufferer’s mum, Debbie, said that they needed about £10,000, after an unexpected, second operation Sophie needed while in America, in July, used up a large portion of the more than £40,000 raised, much of it by Gazette readers.

She said the change in her daughter after the operations, called SDR, which reduced the spasticity in her feet, was nothing short of “amazing”.

“We went to a party in Northampton, for all the kids who had been for the SDR, last week.

“Where normally I would have to be there for her all the time and hold her up, I hardly saw her.

“She was either on the dance floor, chatting with the girls, flirting with the boys, or in the playroom.

“She’s catching up on lost time!”

The return trip will include a check-up and assessment from the doctor who performed the surgery, as well as four days of intensive physiotherapy from experts in the field.

Debbie, her husband Peter and Sophie’s siblings, Daisi and Jay, hope that the local community, who responded to their last call for help by sky-diving, cycling across the Pyrenees, and all manner of other weird and wonderful challenges, will once again get behind them.

“We were totally amazed by how much people helped us, and are so, so grateful.” said Debbie, who still has to pay for daily physiotherapy which is not provided by the NHS.

A ladies’ night event will be held in July, with details to be confirmed, but anyone who wants to help can e-mail Debbie on [email protected] or call Amanda at the Littlehampton Gazette, on 01903 714135, and we will pass on your details.

You can also join Facebook group Help Sophie to Walk, to keep up to date with any planned events.