A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy has achieved his dream of walking for the first time after undergoing life-changing surgery in America.

Robin Carter, from Earby, has relied on a special frame to move around as he has a debilitating disease which has left him unable to walk unaided.

Now he has taken his first 100 steps thanks to two operations in Missouri after his friends and family raised £45,000 to fund the trip.

His mum Natalie said: "We’re just taking each day as it comes at the moment. I just keep thinking that come Christmas I’ll be able to buy him his little wellies so he can play out in winter.”

Robin suffers from spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, and until now was only able to walk with the aid of a crocodile frame.

But following an operation, called selective dorsal rhizotomy, in St Louis last month, he has amazed doctors with his progress.

And since returning home last Monday, the youngster has been learning to walk unaided during taxing physiotherapy sessions.

Football-mad Robin now looks on course to realise his dream of being able to have a kickabout with his pals.

Natalie said: “He managed to do it when he didn’t realise he was doing it on his own.

"I think he took 100 steps around the physiotherapy room.

“If he’s looking at somebody else and we’re telling him to keep his feet straight then he can do it, which is just brilliant.

“But when he noticed that he was walking on his own he panicked and stopped, so he just needs to work on his confidence now."

A few days after undergoing his first operation, Robin had to go under the knife again.

Years of walking on his toes had caused them to shorten, so he needed surgery to have his hamstrings and heel cords lengthened.

Natalie, who along with Robin’s dad Martin, made the trip to America, said both operations were successful.

She said: “The second operation went really well and he was out within the day.

"It did set him back a couple of days in terms of physio, but we knew that would be the case.

“We’re so glad we had it done when we did because his hamstrings and heel cords were just too short to get his feet down.

“It’s been a bit of a rough week because Robin’s had a bit of a water infection, but we’ve just come out of physio, which went really well.

“He’s back on his feet now and looking absolutely great, but he still needs to build up his confidence because that is such a big thing.

“Obviously, he’s six-years-old and we’re teaching him to walk in a completely different way to what he’s used to, using muscles he’s never used before.

“He keeps putting mirrors everywhere so he can see his feet because it really spurs him on - they look great.”

Robin was born eight weeks prematurely and diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a neuromuscular disease, when he was two.

Family and friends of the Roughlee Primary School pupil raised the £45,000 needed to pay for the surgery through a variety of events.

Natalie said: “Everybody has been brilliant and we’re so grateful.

"People are still organising things to help fund Robin’s aftercare and we’re hoping to get him a treadmill.

“Before the future would have seen him in a wheelchair, but now we will see him running around and playing with his friends, which is fantastic.”