LITTLE Georgie Gibbs, the youngster who had a life-changing operation to allow her to walk, is to appear on a television show that followed a year in her journey.

The six-year-old’s first walk to school will be screened as part of This Time Next Year, the ITV show hosted by Davina McCall, that followed the family over the course of a year.

Worcester residents raised more than £30,000 in 2016 to help Georgie, who has spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. She went on to have a pioneering operation through a clinical trial on the NHS, and the show picks up what happened after the operation and features her first walk to Oldbury Park Primary School with big sister, Ella.

Mum Clare Gibbs said: “We spoke to This Time Next Year, as Georgie said ‘I want to walk to school without sticks like my sister.’ We wanted to set her that challenge. We also wanted to raise awareness - people don’t realise what someone with cerebral palsy goes through. Every day, her day starts at 6am so she can help electric stimulation that goes into her muscles, to release the tension. A child with cerebral palsy’s body works four times as hard as a child without.

“We filmed a video diary each week, of her daily physiotherapy and her horse riding and swimming.

“When we went back (a year later) Davina doesn’t know what has happened, so it is a surprise for her.”

Mrs Gibbs said the family also wanted to give people who supported the campaign the chance to see her progress through the show.

And Mrs Gibbs said when the family went to last weekend’s event at Pitmaston Primary School to find a donor to save the life of five-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee, it brought it all back.

“When I saw the queues I thought these are the same people who were doing it for us,” she said. “When the chips are down, people in Worcester support each other. I can’t thank people enough for the help they gave us.”

Since the show was filmed, Mrs Gibbs said she had heard the “fantastic” news that the operation has now become a permanent fixture on the NHS. “That was my dream that children who desperately need it can have it on the NHS, because of Georgie’s success,” she said.

Mrs Gibbs added since the show was filmed last May, Georgie has continued her journey completing new goals.

Mrs Gibbs said: “She has now won five gold medals in swimming, and a gymnastics badge. If she competed in the Paralympics one day I would be a proud mum, but I wouldn’t push her to do that, it will be her choice - but I know she will do something amazing.” The show will air on ITV 1 at 8pm on Tuesday, March 12.

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