LITTLE Tabitha Stuttard will have a very special day today — as she tastes her first ever Christmas dinner.

Until just a few months ago the two-year- old could not eat.

But thanks to specialist treatment in Austria — funded by the local community — she no longer has to be tube fed.

The toddler now eats small amounts, and will have her first Christmas meal with her family tomorrow.

It is a sight parents Vicky Pitt and Mike Stuttard, thought they would never see.

Ms Pitt, who was 40 on Wednesday, said: “It will be the best birthday and Christmas present ever, it’s phenomenal we have got to this milestone.

“It’s the first time I’ve actually looked forward to Christmas since the kids were born.

“We can sit down as a family and enjoy our meal, Tabitha will be part of it instead of being tube-fed.

“I can’t believe the progress she has made, it won’t sink in until the day.”

It is not known what caused Tabitha to struggle to eat.

She has a rare brain condition, Partial Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, which is not thought to be connected.

It means part of her brain is missing, causing developmental delay.

Since birth she has been unable to eat and doctors told her parents she may have to be tube-fed for life.

But they refused to give in, and, after failing to get funding from the local primary care trust, set about raising £15,000 to get expert help abroad.

The community rallied round and in three months the total was reached.

The family, of Egerton, travelled to Austria in September for a couple of weeks of specialist treatment, which led to Tabitha being weaned off being tube fed.

She is slowly making progress but still has a long way to go.

Tabitha is eating some things in small portions and receiving pureed food when she struggles.

The family, who also have a son Brodie, aged one, will sit down together tomorrow to enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner, with Tabitha’s portion chopped up into small pieces for her to try.

Ms Pitt said: “We never thought she would get off the tube so it’s amazing.

“It’s been a rollercoaster and is still hard but it’s great to see her progress.

“We have so much to look forward to now, hopefully she will get better and better, her speech is improving, she turns three in February and she’ll be off to nursery next year.

“We’d like to thank everyone again for fundraising and supporting us, it means so much.”