Toddler’s determination to walk

Leo Stott after his operation

LITTLE Leo Stott has taken the first step in his mission to walk unaided.

The Shaw toddler has undergone a complex operation on his spine at the famous “St Jimmy’s” hspital in Leeds, to relax muscles in his legs.

Three-year-old Leo was diagnosed with cerebral palsy two years ago and has relied on a frame to get around. The surgery needed to give him the best chance of walking normally isn’t available on the NHS, so his family raised £45,000.

The family raised £35,000 and the final £10,000 came from former Oldham Athletic Latics chairman Ken Bates, who suffered from a club foot as a child.

The operation was a success but Leo will now have to endure months of physiotherapy before the operation can be pronounced a success