Young Essex boy facing massive operation that will mean he'll have to learn to walk again

One nine-year-old boy from Ongar, full of determination and with a love for sport, is about to take on his biggest challenge yet. Archie, born nine weeks premature at 31 weeks, lives with cerebral palsy. His condition affects his day-to-day life, but that does not stop him from true bravery, facing an operation that will hopefully help him to enjoy his passions.

Reece, Archie’s dad, said that when he was born early, he and his son’s mum “never thought anything of it.” The new parents were told that Archie would stay in hospital until his due date. Born on January 11 2015, it was expected that he would remain tube-fed in an incubator until 11 March 2015.

“I had never heard of anything like this happening,” Reece said. Reece and Archie’s mum were told by the hospital to expect that his development would be behind other children his age because he was born early. It was later, when Archie was unable to crawl at 18 months, that Archie’s parents considered that “something wasn’t right.”

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Reece came home from work to be told that a professional was very sure that Archie has cerebral palsy. Reece said: “From that day, my life changed. I struggle with the fact that my son has this disability daily, but I am also very, very proud of the young man that he is today. He shows sheer determination every day. I would do anything to swap places with him. If I could, I would take cerebral palsy off him tomorrow, but I couldn’t even handle it as well as he does. He is a very strong and determined little boy. I’m his dad, so I’m his hero, but he is also my hero.”

Archie has a love for sports, and has not let his condition stop him from making the most of life. After an early passion for bikes, he is now able to cycle on a two-wheeled bike, which has been made all the harder because of his fine motor skills being impacted by cerebral palsy. A fighter from the beginning, Archie even attends the West London Boxing Academy, which has supported him and his family a great deal, helped Archie to improve his balance, and gave him a sense of discipline.

“When I found out I was going to have a little boy, I thought “quality, I’m going to have a little footballer, and I’ll be his manager”. When he found out that Archie was born with a disability, Reece thought that day would never come. A big West Ham fan, Archie’s sheer determination and love for football drove him to find a position that he can play, which does not stop him enjoying his sport: keeper. His dad is now living the dream as his manager, and last year, Archie’s unwavering determination saw his team win a cup match, even though he had a lot to face when the semi-final match went to penalties, saving two goals.

In spite of his clear steely character, Archie is set to have a major operation this December, as he still finds daily activities challenging. Suffering from muscle spasticity, where muscles are rigid, it can be a daily struggle to move easily, which is a part of his condition. Archie walks with his toes pointed inwards and on his tiptoes. His dad shared that it is something that Archie is very nervous about.

After seeking medical help, Archie is set to have selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery at Great Ormond Street on December 4. The operation involves cutting damaged nerves from his brain to his legs, reducing the rigidness in his leg muscles. “He’ll be in hospital for three weeks, meaning he would not get out until Christmas Day, but they said they will have him out by Christmas Eve” Archie will spend the next three to six months learning how to walk again and recovering from the operation. The outcome of the surgery is not yet known.

Reece said, “For some, it could be life-changing; for others, it might make life just a little bit better. It will help him with muscle tightness. It will help him with day-to-day life, his sports, and everything else.”

At nine-years-old, Archie has shed some tears in the lead up to the operation, but is determined to go ahead, to enjoy his sports. Reece, a carpenter, has worked building film sets for massive films like Mission: Impossible. He shared that the next few months will be their own 'Mission Impossible'.

Archie’s parents will be taking time out of work to care for their son. As part of their support network, a friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help take away some of the worries they face over the next few months. A link to the page can be found here.