LUCA Railton is preparing for vital surgery in his battle to walk unaided for the first time in his life – and hopes to come home in time for Christmas.

The 11-year-old, from Cricklade, was born with no bone in his right knee, no right tibia and only a partial left tibia due to the rare condition bilateral tibial hemimelia.

He flew to the United States with his parents Teresa and Alex in May for life-changing surgery.

Luca has been undergoing treatment to lengthen his right leg and on Tuesday he will have a frame around his leg removed. This is seen as a major step forward in helping Luca walk unaided.

Teresa said: “Luca is progressing well and we are in countdown mode.

"The surgeon, Dr Paley, has recently decided when the frame is removed that he will insert a rod into his femur to prevent a fracture while the leg is still healing. This will also help with the stabilisation of the leg.

“Luca’s right leg has now been fused, that is the femur and the fibula have been fused together, so as a result the rod might go through to the fibula – a decision that will be made in the operating theatre.

“In the future, Dr Paley will unfuse the leg and insert a knee. This will probably happen when Luca stops growing. Something for us all to look forward to in the future.

“Once the procedure has been completed Dr Paley will confirm whether he will be able to weight bear. If all goes to plan we will then be flying home on December 19 with a fixed boy.”

This positive news is a far cry from times when Luca faced having his leg amputated.

The surgery and treatment has been funded by a campaign called Help Luca Walk with generous donations reaching £102,120.

Luca and his family have been overwhelmed by the support they have received from the public and are looking forward to being home for Christmas.

For more information, see www.helplucawalk.com

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