The parents of a four-year-old girl who missed out on an NHS-funded operation to help her walk are appealing for help to pay for the procedure.

Kerry Smith and Sam Leadsham need to find £57,000 to fund the life-changing operation so that daughter Lily can use her legs.

The youngster was born prematurely on Christmas Eve, and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly before her second birthday.

It means she can only walk with the help of a frame, but that could change after she was accepted for a special procedure, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Miss Smith, a mum-of-three from Finch Court, Ringlestone, said: "When we finally received a diagnosis of cerebral palsy we knew the future would be different for Lily but Lily showed us how determined she is.

"It breaks my heart she can’t do things other children can.

"Lily dreams of being able to run, leap, and dance with her friends" - Kerry Smith

"When we go to the park we see the children running around but she doesn't let it bother her. She is such a happy, lovely little girl but Lily dreams of being able to run, leap, and dance with her friends.

The procedure involves a spinal cord operation that could eliminate the problems with her legs and one day enable her to walk without pain or difficulty.

But Lily missed out on NHS-funded trials, and the family will have to foot the bill for the £27,000 operation and £30,000 in aftercare. Now they have launched an online fundraising page.

Miss Smith, 29, said: "It would mean the world to us if Lily could walk. The surgery would allow her to do all things little girls dream of."

Cerebral palsy occurs when a child sustains a brain injury early in life. This most often happens before birth but can occur in the first year of life.

One of the most common causes of cerebral palsy is prematurity.

Certain parts of the premature brain are vulnerable to damage, particularly the parts that control leg movement and coordination.

This leads to excessive stiffness in the muscles and can impair the ability to learn to walk.

It also causes pain, joint contractures and bone deformities. Selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery divides nerve fibres running from the muscles to the spinal cord, reducing the stiffness.

Another youngster, two-year-old Eliana Farragher from Staplehurst, is also looking for help to have the procedure, and her family is seeking £85,000 so she can have the surgery in the US.

Donate to Lily’s fund here and Eliana's fund here.