WHEN mum Kelly Cummings was told the NHS would not pay for an operation to enable her son to walk because it was not “cost effective”, she refused to accept it.

Instead, the mum-of-three set about researching cerebral palsy and the care her six-year-old son Corey currently receives.

A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that if Corey were to receive the same physiotherapy, botox and care from an orthopaedic consultant and community psychiatrist he now receives until the age of 21, it would cost the NHS a total of £33,600.

Yet a selective dorsal rhizotomy, the same operation required by youngsters Alycia Ellis, Robbie Davies and Jack Pike, is now available at Frenchay Hospital, in Bristol, and would cost approximately £24,000.

However, Corey has been denied the operation on the NHS. But Kelly has had an appeal against the ruling upheld, despite a mix-up meaning the panel had not even seen the evidence and research he had collected.

He has already had an assessment with the neurosurgeon at Frenchay and is waiting for an assessment by the team of specialists.

Kelly, 34, of Coate, who has started a physiotherapy course at college because she is so disappointed with the physiotherapy received by her son, said: “This is a child we are talking about and he has his own life ahead of him.

“I look at things like gastric bands, or hip replacements for older people that are available on the NHS and of course if it was my nan I would want her to have it, but how can they say from looking at him that he shouldn’t have this operation?

“He could have 80 years ahead of him, how can it not be cost efficient? This is his quality of life we are talking about.

“What is the point in the NHS when you can’t get something like this for a child?”

Corey, who has two older sisters – seven-year-old Amber and 13-year-old Briony, attends Lawn Primary School and, on top of his studies, he goes to Beavers and plays for a disabled football team.

Kelly said: “He has been playing football for a year now, he mainly plays in goal, but he enjoys it.

“He is also the first physically disabled person they’ve had at Beavers, and he goes to dance with his sister as well and he joined in with their Christmas show.

“He is a strong character but he gets frustrated when he can’t do things and says it’s not fair. It’s hard explaining to him that he can’t do certain things and he doesn’t cope very well with that.

“It impacts on his school work – he has to have someone to go to the toilet with him and he is starting to get to the age when he is embarrassed because nobody else has to have someone with them but it is for his safety.”

Kelly and husband Richard, 45, a roofer, have applied to Caudwall Children’s Charity which they hope will help them with fundraising so, if successful in their appeal, Corey can have the operation at Frenchay. To support the family, call 07799 484536.