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Cute video shows six-year-old Lily-Mae Leadsham, from Maidstone, dancing for the first time after life-changing surgery

A six-year-old girl who underwent life-changing surgery to help her walk is now living her dream of being able to dance.

Palace Wood School pupil Lily-Mae Leadsham was diagnosed with cerebral palsy aged two, meaning she spent the early years of her life relying on a frame to move around.

However, with the help of a huge community fundraising campaign, which saw friends and family raise more than £60,000, she was able to undergo special surgery in November to reduce spasticity in her legs.

Since having the procedure, called selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), Lily-Mae has had to work hard to build up her strength, having physiotherapy on a daily basis along with a range of exercises.

In recent weeks, she has taken her first independent steps without her frame or walking sticks, and has now been filmed by mum Kerry doing the one thing she has dreamed about doing with her friends more than anything else.

In an adorable video viewed hundreds of times online, Lily-Mae can be seen dancing and singing along to George Ezra's track Shotgun - showing the world just how far she has come since having surgery last year.

Lily-Mae Leadsham, 6, underwent life-changing surgery last year and is now able to dance, much to the delight of mum Kerry
Lily-Mae Leadsham, 6, underwent life-changing surgery last year and is now able to dance, much to the delight of mum Kerry

Mrs Leadsham, of Finch Court, Ringlestone, said: "She's definitely made progress, and she can stand for eight minutes now, which is fantastic.

"Generally she's walking more with her sticks now rather than her walking frame, but dancing was one of the things she really wanted to be able to do, so she loves it.

"Mentally it's a big boost as well to be able to achieve each of these different things she wanted to do.

"SDR really has changed her life in so many ways, she couldn’t even stand before, let alone bust her moves.

"There's still a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, but these last few months really have been amazing."

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