Napier family fundraising so 6-year-old with cerebral palsy can walk freely

Rocco Green has cerebral palsy, but he could be able to walk independently if he gets a costly surgery in America. Photo / Paul Taylor

Rocco Green does everything other 6-year-olds do and more - skateboarding, horseriding, rugby and breakdancing.

His active lifestyle is all done with a smile - and the support of his walking aids.

Rocco was born prematurely at 32 weeks and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 16 months, presenting as spastic diplegia.

This means he has a tightness in his leg muscles and he must use walking aids to get around.

He still dreams of being able to keep up with his brothers and run around freely one day, and this dream is not out of reach.

His mother Ashlee Green said Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, which cuts sensory nerves in the spinal cord to reduce stiffness in the legs of children with cerebral palsy, could help him.

“A few years ago we heard about this surgery that a few other people in New Zealand have had that was only available over in America,” she said.

“We started looking into it more. It was a big decision to decide to take that step to go over there. It is not a surgery that any of the specialists we have spoken to here have a lot of knowledge about.”

She said they contacted the team in America and Rocco had been accepted through a screening process.

“There are no guarantees or anything, but they have said they believe he may be able to walk independently in the future after the surgery.

“Even besides the walking it is getting rid of that tightness, because he gets pain in his legs from having constantly tight muscles and over time if your legs are constantly contracting up they can start getting deformities in their feet, ankles and different joints.”

She said the family was very hesitant at first to start the Givealittle page, but knew they couldn’t raise the money on their own.

“Friends and family sharing and donating, and even people who don’t know us jumping on and donating, it has been really heartwarming to know that people want the best for him as well.”

The fundraiser can be found at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/roccos-journey-a-wish-to-walk and has raised $12,373 of its $160,000 goal so far.

The cost includes the surgeries, a six-week stay and intensive physiotherapy post-surgery.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz