THE mum of Georgie Gibbs has expressed her anger after a letter written to her on behalf of health secretary Jeremy Hunt called cerebral palsy a “disease”.

Clare Gibbs, from St John’s, had asked Robin Walker MP to write to Mr Hunt about her three-year-old daughter’s fight for a selective dorsal rhizotomy through the NHS and received the reply from George Freeman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Life Sciences.

A spokesman for the Department of Health has since apologised and offered to send a replacement letter with more 'appropriate language'.

The letter reads: “Thank you for your letter of 9 October to Jeremy Hunt on behalf of your constituent Clare Gibbs…about the Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) programme.

"I am very sorry to read of Georgina’s health problems, Cerebral palsy is a terrible disease and I appreciate Mrs Gibb’s (sic) desire for her daughter to access treatment.”

Though she is grateful for Mr Walker writing to Mr Hunt, she said the response left her feeling angry and patronised.

“How am I supposed to take this man seriously when he doesn’t know what cerebral palsy is?

“I would expect him to know whether it was a condition or a disease.”

Mrs Gibbs has been tirelessly fundraising to raise enough money to send her daughter to America to have the life-changing operation which could help her walk unaided.

She has praised Mr Walker for his efforts with the HelpGeorgie campaign but said the response from the government has left her feeling patronised and angry.

“I think I owe it to all parents of children with cerebral palsy not to let that comment go.

“How can someone whose responsibility is for the drugs budget for the NHS say cerebral palsy is a disease - it’s a neurological condition.

“It gave me no confidence whatsoever reading the letter.

“I’ve got confidence in Robin Walker to help me deal with the response to this letter and right from the start he has been supporting Georgie’s case so I would like to thank him for the ongoing support.”

Mrs Gibbs said she had booked a surgery session with Mr Walker in December to talk about the letter and would be asking him to help her with the reply.

Georgie was supposed to find out whether she was successful for an NHS trial for the pioneering operation at the start of October but has still not been given a definite answer.

Instead, the family, which includes dad Carl and older sister Ella, have thrown themselves into fundraising the £60,000 needed to have the operation in America.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We are sorry if in our letter explaining the commissioning through evaluation scheme, by referring to palsy as a ‘disease’ rather than a ‘condition’, we have unintentionally caused any offence to Clare and her family.

“We have agreed to issue a new letter with more appropriate language.”

For more on the campaign including fundraising events, visit facebook.com/groups/HelpGeorgie.