Girl whose parents were told she would never walk takes first steps in lockdown

A little girl who was told she would never walk has taken her first steps during lockdown – and is now on a mission to keep going.

Holly Reid, who is now five, was born with cerebral palsy and spent the first eight months of her life in hospital after being born 13 weeks premature.

But last week, her delighted parents captured footage of her walking for the first time after she held herself up on the sofa.

Now her parents Stephanie and Dan Reid, are helping her complete 100 laps of the sofa to raise money for her special school – and she has already made more than £8,000.

‘It was amazing, absolutely amazing,’ says mum Stephanie.

‘When she was born we were told she had severe brain damage and they didn’t think she would be able to do anything.’

At the start of isolation the family were given a standing frame for Holly to help her movement.

Stephanie said: ‘She’s been going in that and kicking her legs higher and higher. From there she just put herself up against the sofa and started to cruise it.

‘That to us is our lottery ticket, you just don’t need money when you get things like that.’

Holly’s condition was caused by being born 13 weeks early due to twin transfusion – a rare condition affecting identical twins where one baby receives more blood and nutrients than the other in the womb.

Holly communicates using sign language and has difficulty with her movements.

‘We were told that she would never walk by the doctors when the signs showed quickly after she was born there was something wrong. They said that it was really bad.

‘We had no expectations and the things she does are a bonus. We always hold our hope and faith as without that you have nothing.’

Holly’s parents have now set her the challenge of doing 100 walks along the sofa, in as many days as it will take her.

The family, from Padgate, Cheshire, are in full isolation during the pandemic because of Holly’s health.

Stephanie started a fundraiser for the project with the initial aim of raising £100 to buy some new toys for Holly’s class at Green Lane School. It has now made more than £8,000 and the new aim is to help fund a minibus for the school, which is desperately needed. Stephanie set up a fundraising page for donations.

‘The total just got bigger and bigger. We were on the minibus at Christmas going on a school trip and it broke down.

‘Originally we were just going for a few toys but if we could get them a new minibus that would be great.

‘We just want to thank the school. Holly chokes a lot and the school just deals with that everyday.

‘We don’t trust easily where Hol is concerned because she has so many complex needs but the school is amazing with her. We trust them with our lives.’

Holly is aiming to make five crossings of the sofa a day until she gets to 100 – but how many she can do each day depends on her strength.

She started walking on 13 May and has just under 70 laps to go before she reaches her target.