7-year-old boy with cerebral palsy takes first ever steps after £75,000 operation paid for by football club owner

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by Emma Dodds |
Published on

Seven-year-old Harry Parker has had an operation to help him walk for the first time after football club owner Glenn Tamplin helped to foot the £75,000 bill

Little Harry Parker was born with a rare form of cerebral palsy.

For the seven-year-old little lad from Hertfordshire, this meant that has he never walked in his entire life.

His only dream was to play football with his friends - but this could only become a reality once his family had raised a massive £75,000 to cover the cost of his operation.

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The Parker family appeared on This Morning with their generous benefactor, Billericay Football Club owner Glenn Tamplin (right) (Credit: ITV/ This Morning) ©ITV/ This Morning

After Harry was accepted for pioneering surgery to help him walk, the family suffered a cruel blow as the funding from the NHS was suddenly cut.

Undeterred, the family set about raising funds for the little lad, and managed to pull together £30,000 - just under half of what Harry needed for the operation.

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Harry with his new pal Glenn (Credit: Twitter/ Harry Parker's Op Fund) ©Twitter/ Harry Parker's Op Fund

After a chance meeting with Glenn Tamplin, who owns the Essex football club Billericay Football Club, currently home to Danielle Lloyd's ex-husband Jamie O'Hara, their lives completely changed.

Meeting at a charity football match, Glenn initially donated a supremely generous £5,000 to the family's cause, for which they were extremely grateful.

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Harry has been able to have the operation thanks to Glenn's kindness and generosity (Credit: Twitter/ Harry Parker's Op Fund) ©Twitter/ Harry Parker's Op Fund

But whilst on holiday in Dubai over Christmas, Glenn couldn't get Harry out of his head.

Appearing on This Morning earlier today, Harry's dad Glen explained what happened: "Glenn phoned me. I was at work at the time but he said, 'Are you sitting down?'

"He said, 'I've been thinking about Harry. I couldn't get him off my mind, actually. I want this operation done in the next six months and I'm going to guarantee the rest of the money."

Glenn shared a video on Twitter of Harry having physiotherapy (Credit: Twitter/ Glenn Tamplin)

Glenn amazingly donated another £35,000 to their funds, meaning that the family were able to pay for the operation.

On 28 April, Harry went through a seven-hour operation on his lower spinal chord at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, and is now going through intense physiotherapy to teach him how to walk.

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Harry shyly snuggled into his mother on the show (Credit: ITV/ This Morning) ©ITV/ This Morning

This means that he could be walking unaided within a year - and the family hope he will be able to fulfill his dream of playing football not long after that.

Good luck to the Parker family!

Have you ever known someone with cerebral palsy? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.

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