A BRAVE young girl born with a disability is literally making huge strides as she defies all odds to walk for the first time.

A fundraising May Fayre this Bank Holiday Monday will give Olivia Hancock, nine, of Hampton, near Evesham, another big boost as she battles hard every day to improve her mobility.

Olivia was born with cerebral palsy but continues to grow in strength and confidence thanks to daily physiotherapy following a life-changing operation last June which helped give her family new hope.

The support of the public, as well as Olivia's own personal courage, has been a vital component in her improving fortunes.

Her mum Emma Haynes, 37, last year performed back-to-back marathons (52 miles) in just 24 hours and kept on going day and night despite blisters, bleeding feet and crippling aches and pains.

Her charity ordeal raised £9,695 for the charity 'Olivia's Dream to Walk'.

Afterwards her daughter described her as 'a super hero mum' but Miss Haynes said the gruelling challenge gave her an insight into what Olivia has to face every day of life and for her it is her daughter who is the super hero.

She now hopes the latest fundraiser, a May Fayre, at Hampton Ferry this May Bank Holiday Monday (Monday May 2) between 11am and 3pm will provide another boost to what has already been a dramatic improvement in Olivia's mobility.

The fayre will include face painting, a bouncy castle, fundraising stalls and a car boot sale and has been organised by Olivia's mother who was last at the riverside venue in July last year where she completed a gruelling twenty-four hour double marathon.

Mrs Haynes said: "She has got so much to deal with and she gets upset sometimes when she can't do what the other children can do. She has to keep going with the physiotherapy.

"I have been very impressed with the progress she has made."

Medics have also been impressed with her when she last attended Bristol Children's Hospital for her six month review.

Olivia had an operation last June called selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) which improves spasticity (muscle stiffness) in cerebral palsy.

She has gone from being in a wheelchair to walking with a rollator and on to using a tripod with sticks and long splints which has enabled her to dramatically increase her core strength and move on to walking with short splints.

The fundraising will help pay for private physiotherapy which gives Olivia the best chance of enhancing her mobility following the operation which was carried out on the NHS.

To help Olivia visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/oliviasdreamtowalk