Little Oliver will have his life-changing operation today – as The Argus campaign to raise the £52,000 cost races towards the target.

The five-year-old will today have the surgery which could help the youngster walk, run and play just like other children his age.

The Argus-supported fundraising campaign to find the £52,000 needed to cover the cost of the operation and the vital equipment and follow-up physiotherapy now stands at just more than £48,300.


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Oliver's parents Jean-Marc Poinsignon and Julie Langmaid have been overwhelmed by the response to the campaign, which has included donations from friends, relatives, colleagues, businesses and individuals from far and wide.

Good luck messages of support were being posted on the campaign's Facebook and Justgiving pages last night as the youngster travelled from his home in Ashurst, near Steyning, to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

In a message on Facebook, Ms Langmaid wrote: “Pre op all done. Now settling into patient accommodation ready for the big day.”

Oliver has cerebral palsy and finds it difficult to move easily because of extremely tight and painful muscles in his legs.

This will get worse as he gets older and grows.

The operation, called selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), will help him walk more easily.

SDR is not routinely available on the NHS and, because it is so expensive and still relatively new, it will normally only be given the go- ahead following an application for funding if all other options have been explored.

The Argus: That's Good News

The campaign for Oliver is backed by The Argus and the paper’s charity, The Argus Appeal, donating £5,000.

The fundraising will continue until the target is hit.

Any money raised over the target will be donated to the Tree of Hope charity, which is helping with the fundraising campaign.

Anyone interested in making a donation can contact the campaign via Facebook SDR4Oliver or visit www.justgiving.com/SDR4Oliver.