Glass Mum 'never in a million years' expected £2200 community boost for Tilly Cranna's cerebral palsy treatments
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A TODDLER'S cerebral palsy fight has been given a helping hand by the Glass community.
A December event at the village hall raised an incredible £2200 to support private therapies so Tilly Cranna (2) can improve her mobility.
However, a new challenge is on the horizon as Tilly's mum Kerrie Baird says she now needs to raise up to £60,000 for major spinal surgery.
Tilly was born nine weeks premature and, at two weeks old, was diagnosed with a serious brain injury.
Finally, in May 2021, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Despite doctors giving Kerrie the chilling prognosis that Tilly would never sit up, walk or feed herself, her progress has amazed.
She can now sit up, eat orally and has a vocabulary of over 70 words.
At 29 months, she was judged as having physical ability of a 6-9 month old – better than originally expected.
Kerrie has attributed Tilly's amazing progress to private therapies, which do not come cheap.
Kerrie works long hours along with husband Barry to provide for Kerrie and other daughter Hallie.
She said: "It would scare you if I told you how much some of her therapies cost.
"Tapping into private stuff is incredible and I don't believe Tilly would be where she is today without private treatment.
"It is so sad because you hope that, when children are at risk of severe mobility issues, the services provided would be sufficient.
"But that is just not where the NHS is in the 21st century and it is not their fault."
The Glass village hall event, a pre-Christmas shindig with raffles, lucky squares and live music, was thought up while Kerrie was on an a weekly wellbeing walk with friends Debbie Milne and Dawn Scott.
Kerrie said she was taken aback by the amount raised.
She said: "I never in a million years expected that sort of money at all. It was a really big shock.
"It is not just the financial support that matters either, the overall support from the community has shown is amazing."
Debbie and Dawn took care of everything and ensured that all Kerrie had to do was enjoy the evening.
Kerrie said: "My days can be chaotic, they can be long and really quite hard.
"So it was really nice to have the fundraiser just taken out of our hands.
"It is such a lovely gesture to just completely take the stress out of it."
Organiser Debbie said: "Glass is quite a small community but it is such a good community.
"People were really generous and put in a lot of donations.
"You know what? She is just the cutest wee quine.
"She's always smiley and Kerrie and Barry always see the positive in things
"Kerrie is just constantly trying everything new thing she can think of for Tilly."
The next hurdle for Tilly and Kerrie, other than a strenuous physiotherapy route and hospital appointments, is a major spinal operation.
Tilly is currently being considered for selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), which can ease the severe pain of people with cerebral palsy and make it easier for them to live life with no limitations.
Kerrie said the amount required is an intimidating figure.
She said: "It costs anything from £19,000 to about £60,000, with the rehabilitation included.
"It is not something you can just go and organise on a whim.
"It will probably take years to fundraise that sort of money."
To make the therapy bills easier to tackle, Kerrie has joined forces with charity Just4Children.
Tilly's fundraising blog, set up along with the charity, called "lifewithalittlet" has a target of £25,000.
Kerrie has struggled to overcome her feelings about asking from help from the community, but praised it for its generosity.
She said: "I have always found it really difficult to accept that fundraising is okay..
"I don't know what it is, but it never really sat right with me.
"I really struggle to get the concept that other people were going to pay for our daughter's physio.
"But Tilly wouldn't be in the position she is in today if it wasn't for the generosity of other people."
