A four-year-old girl’s dream of walking for the very first time could soon come a step closer with the help of Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier.
The iconic seafront attraction is playing host to The Grand Ball on Saturday 23 March which will raise funds to send Rosie-May Edwards to America for potentially life-changing surgery.
Rosie, who lives on Weston’s Bournville estate with parents Josie, 21, and Simon, 24, has diplegic cerebral palsy and is unable to walk.
Her family want to raise £80,000 which will enable her to go to America for a procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) which could give her the opportunity to take her very first steps.
She will also need to undergo several weeks of intense physiotherapy treatment in America after the operation.
Josie said:
“Rosie’s life is very difficult, and every day is a struggle. She needs constant help as she can’t get anywhere on her own. She gets very frustrated when she can’t do something but she is very determined and tries so hard. “She is a happy little girl when she’s playing at home but when she’s at school or around other children her frustration really shows when she sees them doing things that she can’t do, and she becomes very upset.
“She frequently asks why she can’t walk and be like other children her age. Her legs are constantly crossed over and it’s almost impossible to part them due to her having such tight muscles in her upper legs and hips.
“Even getting her dressed is a struggle, and taking her shopping is a challenge as I can’t put her legs in the child seat in the supermarket trollies.
“It’s her dream to walk and she talks about it every day. I know that this surgery will change her life. She can start enjoying the same kind of things that any four-year-old should, will have more independence and will be less frustrated around other children.”
Rosie’s parents found out about the surgery in March 2018 and immediately started a fund-raising campaign, with activities such as a sponsored walk, cake sales, Christmas stalls, car boot sales and others.
So far, they have raised more than £9,000 and are hoping to raise a lot more at the Grand Ball, which will be a glittering evening featuring a three-course meal, live band, a photo booth, raffle and an auction, with exciting items such as a one-hour flying lesson up for grabs.
Rosie often enjoys visiting the Grand Pier, with the 1p and 2p machines being among her favourites, as she enjoys inserting the coins and watching what happens to them.
Josie said:
“I spoke to another mum who raised funds for her little boy a few years ago, and she suggested a ball would be a great idea. “The Pier is very popular and we thought its lovely seafront location made it the perfect venue for our fund-raiser.
“The events team at the pier have all been really helpful, supportive and friendly, I can’t thank them enough. They have given us lots of ideas of what to have at the event and have always been very quick to answer any questions I’ve had.”
Tables for ten for the event can be booked for £400 (£40 per person). If you would like to find out more, contact Josie on 07826 108119 or email josie1997rosie@gmail.com
There is also a Just Giving page, for anyone who wants to donate to help Josie achieve her dream, which is https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/just4children/rosiemaysfirststeps
Lorna Withington, Event Co-ordinator at the Grand Pier, said:
“We were thrilled when Rosie’s family chose the Pier as the venue for their special event. “It’s going to be a grand night for such a worthy cause. I hope lots of people snap up the tables, have a great night out on the pier and raise lots of money to make the dream of Rosie-May's first steps become a reality.”
For more information about this, and a wide range of other events and entertainments at the Grand Pier all year round, visit www.grandpier.co.uk