A FAMILY in Bury are desperately appealing to the local community to help raise £20,000 for a life-changing operation for their 8-year-old son, who is living with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy.

Jacob Jokiel was diagnosed at 20-months-old with the condition that makes his muscles very tight, particularly in his legs.

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) which is available in Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, will give Jacob a chance to live his life to the fullest.

It will help to relax his muscles making it easier for him to walk, sit, move and reduce the painful cramp he has daily, with the aim to get Jacob walking independently within a walking frame.

Time is running out for the family as the surgery needs to be done before Jacob turns nine, which is only six months away.

His father, Lucas said: "It has been really tough and as he gets older it is getting harder. Jacob is very heavy to carry up and down the stairs or getting him into the car."

Jacob needs support for all daily activities such as dressing and washing and his 7-year-old sister, Natalia, works hard to support her brother.

Lucas said: "She's a treasure, she really helps us out - makes his breakfast in the morning, sorts out his clothes for school and she will be completing a 1.5 mile run for him to raise money."

"Jacob is a really happy person, he is friendly and sociable and he just wants to be independent. Everyone knows who he is and he gives everyone a hug when he gets to school in a morning."

The family have set up a just giving page to raise the funds as well as setting themselves several challenges. Jacob's mother, Dorota, will be running 10k and Lucas is currently a short way through 'Stoptober'.

He said: "We're just doing lots of little events but it is slow and time is not in hand. He has also started having seizures which means he spends some time in hospital. We need to make sure he has the surgery as soon as possible before these get worse, otherwise he may now be able to go ahead with it.

Jacob has also had other complications at birth. Eight hours after he was born he developed Group B strep, a normal bacterium which carried by some adults which can cause infection in babies and caused him sepsis, a complication of an infection. After a few hours, his heart stopped beating and he was placed on life support. After two days, his parents, Lucas and Dorota were informed that Jacob was also fighting Meningitis.

The family are appealing for any support they can get and asking people come forward with offers or ideas of how to fundraise.

To support Jacob and his family. visit their just giving page: https: justgiving.com/fundraising/jacob-jokiel