Brave Taylor, 10, inspires mum to raise charity cash

Louise Steventon, of Hemswell Cliff, is raising money for The Children’s Hospital Charity, through her Slimming World group, to thank Sheffield Hospital for the care given to son Taylor, 10.

The youngster was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which affects all four limbs.

He has had to endure painful hip joints because of his condition, needing surgery to give him a better quality of life.

Mum-of-three and Slimming World consultant, Louise, said: “His hip would dislocate a lot, sometimes daily, causing him agonising pain that would leave him really unhappy. The last six months have been particularly difficult for him.

“We knew if he didn’t have the operation, he would soon not be able to use his walker to get around, and that would stop him having his bit of independence. He likes taking his walker out and playing with his sisters and being a little boy as he should be, but the pain would have stopped him from doing that.”

At three years old, Taylor had the bones in his left leg repaired - and has now just had his right leg repaired.

He underwent a four and a half hour operation, which involved the surgeon filing down his leg bone and cutting into his hip to make a flap,enabling the ball of the leg to sit in a better position in the socket.

Louise added: “It is so hard as a parent while your child is under anaesthetic in an operation. It is like you can’t even function, you can’t even cry.

“It’s a really odd mix of feeling positive and negative; positive because your child is getting the help they need, but negative because you don’t want to think the worst. You just need to get through those hours.”

Taylor is now recovering well in hospital, with mum Louise by his side.

Taylor’s bravery has inspired the Slimming World fundraising drive at Louise’s Caistor club - the group has weekly collections and recently held a raffle, raising almost £100 for The Children’s Hospital Charity.

The money she has raised will go to the charity’s Make it Better appeal, which urgently needs funds to build a brand new wing at the hospital.