A little girl who faced being wheelchair-bound has bounced back after a life-changing operation has given her the freedom to walk.
Maya McRobbie, seven, was diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy as a baby.
The debilitating condition makes the hamstrings, calves and adductors tight, making it difficult for her to walk and unable to cross her legs when sitting down.
Maya wore splints, regularly used a Zimmer and occasionally required a wheelchair to get around.
But thanks to an operation, the youngster from Musselburgh, East Lothian, will now be able to perform in a dancing show with her friends.
The selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery removed the high muscle tone, and an additional operation to lengthen her calves and hamstrings has allowed her to move independently.
Her mother Carol, 43, said that Maya can “walk everywhere” now.
The dental assistant said: “It’s been an incredible journey for Maya.
“She used to need a wheelchair a lot and required a lot of assistance when walking but now she can jump around on a trampoline and ride on a scooter.
“She can walk everywhere now though still needs a cane if it is going to be a long distance.
“Maya loves dancing and is getting really excited about the second show of her dance class.”
“We couldn’t be happier. She just gets on with it and surprises me all the time with her sheer determination to succeed.
“Maya has always been a happy girl but her confidence has come on leaps and bounds since getting the surgery and she has a great group of friends who support her.
“We’ll have come full circle from three years ago when she walks onto the track at Meadowbank for the fireworks to thank the people of Edinburgh for their incredible generosity.”
Following the surgery in 2013 and frequent exercise, the keen dancer attends classes at Dancercise in Portobello and Musselburgh twice a week.
And she can now ride a regular bike with stabilisers.
Her family has also converted an oversized shed in the back garden into a mini gym with treadmills and machines designed to help build up strength in her legs.
Carol said: “It was extremely difficult, but it was amazing to watch her progress. She still has little struggles, like trying to get her heel down.
“By the time she was a teenager she would have been a wheelchair user. When she runs through the leaves, you’d think you had given her the world.”
“She loves her independence and knows she’s come this far because she’s trained for it. I can’t believe how much she’s grown.
“She never used to be able to sit on the carpet with her legs crossed with her friends [in the classroom] – now she can.
“We cannot thank people enough for their huge generosity and kindness in supporting Maya. She really could not have gone to the USA without their support.”
In 2012, Maya appealed to kind-hearted strangers to help fund her life-changing surgery in America at a fireworks display in Edinburgh.
And she will be revisiting the fireworks display at Meadowbank Stadium this Thursday to thank the people of Edinburgh for helping her raise £60,000 for her surgery.
Maya’s dad Gary, 42, will address the crowd first, before she makes her appearance.
