Things are looking hopeful for a little girl who has undergone surgery in America to help her walk on her own.

Paige Stewart is recovering in hospital in Missouri after having the operation which is not available on the NHS.

It will be some time before her parents Julie and David know if it has been a success but in a promising video posted online, Paige is already showing progress.

The five-year-old, from Rainham, has cerebral palsy and struggles to stand on her own. She cannot walk unaided and the muscles in her ankles are so tight that even with a frame, Paige finds it difficult to get around.

Just hours after the operation on Tuesday, Paige was able to wiggle her toes and flex her foot. Her mum Julie posted a touching online video.

In it she can be heard whispering encouragement to Paige as her daughter lies in a hospital bed with her feet peeping out from the white sheets.

Julie wrote: “And the stiffness has gone. Paige can move her foot up and down and a small movement in her toes. She has not been able to do this since she was a baby.”

A campaign started by her parents Julie and David, and backed by the Medway Messenger, raised £45,000 to pay for the surgery. Mrs Stewart said if they hadn’t started raising money last year, Paige could be facing life in a wheelchair.

Doctors in the US believe Paige will eventually be able to take independent steps by herself. She will have another op, to lengthen her muscles, on January 14.

Paige touched the hearts of readers last Christmas when she wrote to Santa asking him to help her walk. People from all over the Towns supported the appeal, with one anonymous donor giving £20,000.

The fundraising will continue when Paige returns to the UK at the end of January to pay for physiotherapy sessions and specialist equipment.

Visit www.justgiving.com/paigestewartappeal to support the appeal