Two Christmases ago, a little girl who was facing a lifetime in a wheelchair wrote to Santa asking him to help her walk.

Paige Stewart’s family were told by doctors in the UK that there was nothing more they could do to help her, but her parents, Julie and David, refused to give up.

They launched an appeal, backed by the Medway Messenger, to raise the funds for ground-breaking treatment which is not available on the NHS at a hospital in Missouri.

Through fundraising, and an anonymous donation of £20,000, the family raised more than £45,000 to pay for the operations and physiotherapy.

And this Christmas, the family from Rainham have a special surprise for all those who have supported Paige, who has cerebral palsy.

They are releasing a video on Christmas Eve at 6.30pm which shows her journey from 2014 when she struggled to stand, through her operations in January this year, to now.

Mum Julie said: “It is the most precious gift and surprise. Please all stay tuned as it’s not long till the big day. I promise you it will be amazing.

"I’d like to thank all the supporters and fundraisers, along with Ciara Allen for being by my side constantly throughout the fundraising and keeping the driving force going with me, as well as the Medway Messenger for their stories and support.”

The six-year-old has had two operations the first to remove part of her spine and cut the nerve-endings and the second to lengthen her muscles.

Just hours after the operation Paige was able to wiggle her toes and flex her foot – something she hadn’t been able to do since she was a baby.

Since then she has been having lots of physiotherapy and earlier this year even rode a bike for the first time.

You can watch the big surprise on Kent Online from 6.30pm on Christmas Eve, but Julie says you might want to have a box of tissues handy...