Three year old Ben Weller has been accepted to receive an operation in the United States that could change his life.
When he was six months old, Ben was diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy and has not yet walked independently, but this surgery could improve Ben’s condition with the help of donations from GoFundMe.
Ben is among the only three per cent of cerebral palsy patients accepted to receive the operation known as selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR).
“We are so fortunate that Ben has been accepted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for selective dorsal rhizotomy. Ben’s wish to walk will come true,” said Ben’s mother Stephanie on the GoFundMe website.
SDR is a complex operation that finds and cuts damages nerves using electricity. Dr. Tae Sung Park has helped many children with cerebral palsy with the life changing procedure.
“Ben is an excellent candidate for SDR and his spine and hip x-rays are unremarkable. We expect Ben to be an independent walker in all environments and his spasticity will be permanently reduced,” said Dr. Park on the GoFundMe website.
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The SDR surgery is scheduled for sometime in 2020, but Ben is also on the cancellation list and could be contacted two to three months prior to a new surgery date.
Ben, and his twin brother Alex, were born 11 weeks early. The Weller family hopes that the SDR treatments will grant Ben a second chance to walk and play with his brother.
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