Can you help Billy walk? Fundraising campaign launched to help Banbury area school boy get vital operation

An Adderbury family is hoping to raise £85,000 to make a 7-year-old boy's wish to walk come true.

Billy Humphreys lives a normal life, other than the fact he cannot use his legs properly, meaning he uses sticks or a wheelchair to get around.

His family see the best option is to raise tens of thousands of pounds to pay for physiotherapy and surgery.

Billy's mother, Karen, started a fundraising campaign called Billy's Wish to Walk in an effort to raise the money to pay for her son's surgery.

But due to the coronavirus lockdown fundraising has been more difficult than usual with many events having to be cancelled.

Karen said: "Billy's charity has taken a total hit this year so far. Our first event that we had planned in March had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. We haven't looked at planning anything else as currently large groups of people are still not allowed to get together."

Karen started a Just Giving web page to help raise the money needed for her son's surgery. They have reached the halfway mark of the £85,000 target.

Anyone who can help Billy's Wish Walk reach its target can use the following web link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/billyhumphreysBilly turned 7 years old during the lockdown on March 28.

Initially, Karen and Pete thought Billy was perfectly healthy, but a friend noticed his head was tilted over and his feet were really stiff at around three-months-old.

From there, he has been having physio but paediatricians have been unable to understand why he cannot use his legs properly.

Karen said: "He presents the signs of a child who has cerebral palsy, but his MRIs show up clean."

They need to raise a lot of money to pay for surgery to reduce the spasticity in his legs but they need to wait two to three years until they have a proper diagnosis.

Billy's wish to walk is a registered charity under the Tree Of Hope.

The family is working with charity Tree of Hope so if Billy cannot have the surgery, the money raised will be used for his physiotherapy and potentially help another child with similar issues.

A family friend, Ross Andrew Mallen pitched in to help during the lockdown as he recently held a head-shave fundraising challenge to help Billy.

He said: I've been friends with Billy's parents for years, and have previously been involved in fundraising for Billy's Wish To Walk, including last winters Santa Dash.

"I'm on the clinically vulnerable list and knew I would be in isolation a while, so I started taking pictures of my hair as it got longer and wilder.

"I knew charities were suffering over lockdown. There are normally a number of fundraisers for Billy over each year to help get to his £85,000 target for treatment.

"So I just thought I would see how long and messy it could get before having some fun cutting some crazy styles, and eventually taking it all off. I've got a new found appreciation for people with long hair, I didn't know how hot and uncomfortable it gets at times."

Ross has hit about 80 per cent of his fundraising target of £300. Anyone who would like to contribute can use the following Just Giving web link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rossandhisbouffantcut/

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