US surgeon agrees to operate on Bay boy

James Reid, 5, who suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. He loves to groove to tunes by Cat Stevens, Bob Marley and Mumford and Sons. Photo / Ruth Keber

A specialist US surgeon has agreed to perform life-changing surgery on a 5-year-old Bay boy who has cerebral palsy - but the family still needs to raise money for the operation.

James Reid has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Most patients with the condition cannot walk and their speech is profoundly affected.

James' parents are hoping to raise $150,000 to be able to take their son to America to help relieve the spasticity or high tone in his muscles. The family has so far raised $12,000.

The operations, selective percutaneous myofascial lengthening, would avoid further contractures (stiffness of muscles and tendons), and reduce the need for further surgeries. It involves small skin incisions, 2-3mm in length, to release tight bands of tendon.

James' mother, Sonja Reid, said she had contacted the surgeon, David Yngve, several months ago about the operation.

After a questionnaire, hip and spine X-rays and an extensive phone conversation discussing James' condition, Dr Yngve gave the final okay. Dr Yngve is an associate professor of orthopaedics and scoliosis at UTMB Health in Texas.

"He specialises in the selective percutaneous myofascial lengthening," Mrs Reid said.

"Through the various research I have done over the past year SPML is one of the surgeries I believe will help James and only two surgeons in the world currently do this procedure."

The operation would be completed in one day, in various parts of James' legs - his ankles, calves, hamstrings and hips. Mrs Reid said recovery should only be a few days but James would have to wear a cast from knee to ankle for four weeks following the surgery.

The surgery would be followed by extensive therapy.