Glittering ball raising cash for five-year-old's SDR op

The family of a five-year-old boy with quadriplegic cerebral palsy is rallying to raise enough money for an operation to help him walk.
Jake Bourlet, five, hopes the SDR operation will help him to be able to walkJake Bourlet, five, hopes the SDR operation will help him to be able to walk
Jake Bourlet, five, hopes the SDR operation will help him to be able to walk

Jake Bourlet, from Angmering, is being supported by the Bognor Regis charity Give 4 BETH and more than £23,500 has already been raised towards the £35,000 target for SDR (selective dorsal rhizotomysurgery) surgery.

His cousin, Sarah Willoughby, is organising an SOS Charity Ball at The Grand, Brighton, on Saturday, May 21, at 7pm. Tickets are £60 for the five-star evening, to include a three-course meal and entertainment.

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Jake, who was born prematurely at Worthing Hospital on June 20, 2010, can weight bear but he cannot get around without his walker.

Sarah said: “Due to the high tone in his legs and inner thighs, his legs scissor severely. He also suffers pain in his muscles and tummy problems.

“The SDR would remove a lot of the high tone and could mean that Jake would be able to walk one day, but most importantly he would live a pain-free life with greater independence.”

Jake is a pupil at West Park Primary School in Worthing and gets around with a walker that enables him to be upright.

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His parents, Sally Beamish and Sam Bourlet, have set up www.jakebourlet.co.uk to support the appeal and keep people up to date with his progress.

The operation is not routinely funded on the NHS and money is also needed for the aftercare that will give Jake the best possible chance to walk.

Tickets for the SOS Charity Ball can be booked via soscharityball.eventbrite.co.uk

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