The family of a much-loved Largs youngster who went through life-changing surgery have spoken of "small steps" as they gave an update on her condition.
We previously told that more than £130,000 was raised to send Alara Kavak to the States for surgery on her spine, in the hope it would help her walk unaided for the first time.
The Largs community rallied around Alara, who was born premature and developed Cerebral Palsy, with concerts, haircuts and raffles to reach the amount needed for the surgery.
The family have now been home for six months and mum Fiona told the News that they are taking "small steps" to make big differences in Alara's recovery.
She said: "I didn't have any massive milestones to share. I would have loved nothing more to say that she has taken her first steps, but at the moment that is not the case. We have been left with jelly legs that have no strength or muscle and that’s what we are working on every day.
"The surgery has been completely life-changing for us and we can see all the small changes. We are working on building up her strength. The surgery doesn't cure cerebral palsy, but it helps to connect the signals from her brain.
"We are working daily in rehab. With a four-year-old, it can be tough as we have a strict physio programme of stretches and exercises. We are trying our best to make it as much fun as possible for her, but there are some aspects that she doesn't enjoy.
"She is doing her best and that is all we can ask for. We know some days she struggles but she keeps pushing herself and we are so proud of her.
"I strongly believe that she holds the same hopes and beliefs for herself that we as her parents have. She will say things that really pull on our heartstrings. We are not telling her that she will walk, but instead to do those exercises to make her legs get stronger.
"You can see the relief from her surgery. She used to have very stiff legs called spasticity where she couldn't even behind them and that is now gone. Her legs nearly feel normal. "
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Fiona has praised the Largs community for their ongoing support, and admits Alara having her surgery feels “surreal” after months of fundraising.
She continued: "We have been back home for six months and I really didn't want people in our community to think that we have forgotten about them after all the fundraising they did for our little girl.
"I haven't had the chance to thank everyone who helped us with the events and fundraising. They all got behind us to raise the money quickly before it was too late and I will be forever grateful to them. I still can't believe that we did it.
"We are so thankful to everyone who helped us get to America. We are still looking forward to the future and what that might bring. I hope one day I can give the update that Alara has taken her first step aided, but for the meantime, it is small steps for now."
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