A PAWLETT schoolgirl’s family is facing a fresh battle to raise additional money to continue her treatment one year on from two life changing operations in America funded largely by donations from Somerset well-wishers. Bridgwater Lions Club has stepped in with a donation of £500 to help pay for much need specialist physiotherapy for seven year old Jessica Avery.

Jessica developed quadriplegic cerebral palsy as a result of her premature birth and was unable to walk or even stand before the operations. Now she can walk a little with the aid of arm crutches. But having recovered from the operations she now needs a series of intensive physiotherapy sessions to further improve her strength and mobility.

The sessions are not available on the NHS and can cost thousands of pounds privately over the course of a single year. While some of the sessions will be carried out at specialist centres in Somerset others will involve travel to different parts of the country.

On Monday the club presented their contribution to Jessica and her mother, Kate who said: “It’s really great that the Lions have offered support. We’ve raised a lot in the past to send Jessica to the States for the operations, and raising that money was hard work at the time. Sadly we’re finding it twice as hard now to raise the funds needed to continue her treatment.

“I’m sure a lot of people thought that after Jessica had the operation she’d just be able to walk soon after. In reality having the operation was just the key to unlock the door, so to speak; to open it to a better future for her will mean Jessica undertaking many hours of therapy and hard work.”

Lions District Officer Andrew Bryant said: “Bridgwater Lions are delighted to be helping Jessica and her family by contributing to the not insignificant costs of further therapy. We appreciate what wonderful progress Jessica has made since her operations and we look forward to seeing her make further progress in the months and years to come.”

During her operations nerve fibres from muscles to Jessica’s spinal cord were cut to relieve stiffness and tension in her legs.

The surgery was carried out by one of the world’s leading surgeons at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri, which treats children from all over the world.

Further donations to help Jessica can be made through justgiving.com/helpjessicawalk