THE parents of a Stretford girl who need to raise £25,000 to fund their daughter’s surgery are more than halfway towards their fundraising goal.

Leila McMurray has cerebral palsy and her parents, Tom and Jo, need to raise the cash to pay for a procedure known as a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR).

They believe the operation, which isn’t routinely funded by health chiefs, will improve the six-year-old’s balance and walking ability.

Jo, 42, from Hillingdon Road, said she and Tom have been ‘overwhelmed’ by the support the appeal has received.

She said: “We're overwhelmed with the tremendous support people have shown us, and feel really humbled by it. We're positive that we'll reach our goal soon, and are very excited about this. Leila is a lucky girl and we are extremely grateful for the generosity everyone has shown to her.”

Jo said they need to raise a further £10,000 to fund physiotherapy after the surgery. Recent fundraising successes include Tom, 41, running the Great Manchester Marathon and raising in the region of £3,000.

She also praised the support Leila’s appeal has received from Oswald Road Primary School in Chorlton. A range of events, from a dressing up day to a ‘singathon’, have raised more than £1,00.

Leila has swimming lessons at Stretford Leisure Centre and this week the facility has hosted a range of events in support of the fundraising appeal.

* Anyone interested in finding out more about the Leila McMurray appeal should visit justgiving.com/teams/LeilaMcMurray.