Boy with 'weight of world on shoulders' faces big challenge amid new surgery
For Ollie Godfree it's been a tough start to life due to a medical condition called scoliosis, which means his spine does not grow straight. The 11-year-old from Broughton Astley has already missed about four years worth of school and he's devastated to be facing months more in hospital and at home due to a major operation.
In early October he will have "fusing" surgery to attach new rods beside his spine that will hopefully help it grow straight. The rods will remain in his body for the rest of his life but the recovery from the surgery will take a while, at a time when Ollie is just starting to love school.
His mum, Shannon, 30, said her son was planning a "bucket list" of things he wants to do before the surgery takes place. It is likely he will be unable to go to school for two or three months after the operation happens.
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She said: "When he was six months old my sister said his spine seemed to be curved and he was later diagnosed with a rare form of scoliosis. Since then he's had 10 operations over 11 years and missed a lot of school.
"One school year he only attended 41 days. He's at Thomas Estley College in Broughton Astley and he's really enjoying school now more than ever before."
Many of the problems have been down to infections caused by previous temporary rods that have been inserted in Ollie's back since 2020. After some bad infections they were taken out in January 2023 but after that the curvature of his spine started getting worse again.
Shannon said: "They can't put the permanent rods in when they're young but they can do the operation now. They will attach the new rods to his spine with six or eight screws and also remove some of his ribs to help straighten his body.
"He's such a lovely little boy, despite having the weight of the world on his shoulders."
The bucket list includes several items including going to Go Ape, a day out in London, having a nice family meal out and going bowling. The family, which also includes Shannon's partner and her other two sons, aged one and two, had been hoping to go to Disneyland Paris but the operation had to be brought forward due to the speed Ollie's spine was worsening.
Shannon said: "After the operation it will be at least two to three months off school and it'll be about six months before he can start doing many of the things he loves doing.
"It's a shame he's going to miss school because since he started secondary school he's been loving it so much. After his first day he said he couldn't wait to go back and he never said that about primary school.
"It's very hard for him. The new rods should last forever and hopefully he's going to be able to lead a normal life."