A PIONEERING cerebral palsy campaigner is issuing an urgent plea for donations to help make her dreams of walking become a reality.

Laura Ramsden underwent a life-changing spinal surgery that is usually only offered to children almost two years ago and has since taken her first steps as an adult.

The 36-year-old has made remarkable progress, but is now in desperate need of more funding so she can continue vital physiotherapy that is helping her to build up muscles she has never used.

None of her treatment has been available on the NHS, so Laura, of Bowker Street, has had to raise more than £13,000 to get her this far.

But, with only enough funds left for another two and a half months of physiotherapy, she is in urgent need of help from generous local residents and businesses.

Laura said: "We have still had very little help from the NHS. Somebody did turn up after my last operation, but 20 minutes a week with them is not going to get me very far.

"It is £80 for one of my physiotherapy sessions, so we have to continue fundraising ourselves but our money is very low at the minute.

"We have enough for two and a half months more of physio treatment, and then it will be gone.

"The past few weeks have been some of the best sessions I have had and after my most recent operations, everything has been falling into place.

"I'm now managing to do things that I couldn't get close to no matter how hard I was trying just a few months ago.

"Now, it is all about triggering all of the natural movements that I have never had. I'm building up muscles that I have never used and that is really, really hard work.

"Children who have had the operation I had can go under the umbrella of a children's charity, but I don't have that option.

"A lot of avenues that are open to other people aren't there for me, so we have to do fundraising in whatever ways we can."

Laura has also undergone a series of successful follow-up orthopaedic surgeries and there are hopes that she will one day be able to walk unaided.

That will most likely require another three years of physiotherapy, but Laura is determined that she will not be stopped having come so far since making the momentous decision to pursue her dream.

She added: "I don't regret it one bit. If I had to do everything all over again tomorrow, then I would.

"Things are so much easier for me than they were before. It was so dire that I couldn't even transfer out of my wheelchair to use the bathroom.

"To go from that to where I am now it just unbelievable.

"The doctors have told me that they want to see me walking without sticks one day, which would be incredible having been in a wheelchair for decades.

"Trying to walk was my choice, it wasn't something that had to happen, but I can't imagine going back to where I was before.

"It is like a different world now.

"The simple things are what you really notice. Recently, it was my niece's fifth birthday and I was able to get in the car to go to her party, which is something I never could have managed before."

To donate visit tinyurl.com/lauraramsden.

Any businesses able to display collection tins can contact Laura via the Laura's Wish SDR Dream Facebook page.