Kayley fundraising is on target for October surgery

Six year-old Navan girl, Kayley Dunne is preparing to travel to the US for life-changing surgery in October which will enable her to walk. Her family are thrilled to have almost reached their fund raising target of €50,000 which means Kayley, a daughter of Jacky Dunne and Keith Gaule of Beaufort Place, can have a vital operation in the US. Through the helpkayleywalk website, her mother Jacky said: "Thanks a million to the hundreds of you of contributed in any way whatsoever". Kayley will now travel to the United States on 23rd October to undergo a procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, which could radically change her life and make her future much brighter. It will enable her to walk with crutches and live a much more normal life, as well as reducing pain and discomfort. Over the past few months there has been a major fund raising drive for little Kayley with events such as a pole dancing exhibition, concerts by various local artists, a barbecue, a comedy night and a 'Sex in the City 2' night. The comedian Finbarr Coveney walked from Tramore to Navan to raise funds for her and there was a bag packing day and a cake sale, while a number of runners participated in the Flora Mini Marathon. Two more fund raisers are on the cards, a parachute jump in Offaly in September and a fundraising night in Knights Bar in Navan on 27th August. The family have closed the donation link on their website, confident that the two forthcoming fun raisers will see them reach their target of €50,000 which is needed for the surgery in the US. Any additional funds raised will be used to fund after care on her return such as physio or equipment needed after surgery. At the moment, Kayley cannot stand independently or walk without assistance and uses a special walker to get around as she suffers from Spastic Diplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy. Kayley has stiffness and tightness in her lower extremities and has trouble doing the simple things most people take for granted and as she gets older, her problems have been getting worse, because her muscles remain as tight as ever, while her body continues to grow. Despite this, Kayley goes to St Oliver's National School, where she has many friends and even takes part in PE classes and she also loves playing with her little sister, Emily. Her mum researched her condition and came across a hospital in St Louis, Missouri, which carries out Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). This operation involves cutting the nerves in the back that cause the abnormal tone in the legs and which will permanently reduce the spasticity in her lower limbs. When has the surgery, Kayley's sitting and standing postures will improve significantly, her level of comfort will improve, movement will become smoother and faster and she will be able to walk with crutches.