A date has been set for a major operation which will allow a Weston six-year-old to walk unaided for the first time in her life, after her family raised £60,000 to pay for the pioneering treatment.

Gracie Thorne, who has cerebral palsy, needs a specialist surgery called a selective dorzal rhizotomy (SDR) to enable her to walk unaided.

However, the operation is not provided on the NHS and so her parents, Scott and Sarah Thorne, took it upon themselves to raise the £60,000 needed to pay for Gracie’s operation and the extensive physiotherapy she will need afterwards.

Scott and Sarah confirmed this week that Gracie will have the surgery on May 15 at Bristol Children’s Hospital, and revealed the plucky youngster had set herself a goal of one day being able to wear flip-flops and heeled shoes.

They also said they had managed to secure help from physiotherapists who specialise in SDR treatment – a major milestone needed before the surgery could proceed.

Scott and Sarah told the Mercury: “None of this would have been possible without the help of everyone who has helped and donated.

“It will take time and effort – the op is not a miracle cure that will have her up and walking independently immediately – but with Gracie’s determination and a goal of being able to wear flip-flops and shoes with a heel, no child we know could give it a better shot.

“It’s impossible to express how grateful we are for this opportunity for our little girl.”

The next fundraiser in aid of Gracie’s Appeal will be a 1990s party at Raddy’s Café Bar, in Beach Road in Weston, on April 1 at 9pm.

Entry is free, but a raffle will take place on the night and collection buckets will be available for donations.