Friends of a little girl with cerebral palsy are supporting an appeal to fund her life-changing surgery.

Becca Carey’s only chance of being able to walk independently is to have spinal surgery.

But the seven-year-old has been refused the surgery on NHS.

Her mum Pam and dad Tim are now trying to raise £80,000 to fly Becca to America for the operation.

This fundraising effort, dubbed Becca’s Wish to Walk, is being supported by Jean Ridgway and Rick Sherry from Macclesfield.

The pair, along with Becca’s family, will be running a bucket collection at Macclesfield Town FC on April 16, the club’s last home match of the season.

For the last 18 months Rick, a driver and co-director of Expedition Mini-Coaches, and Jean, 73, a school escort, have taken Becca to and from school.

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The trio have struck up a close friendship on their twice-daily trips on what they call ‘the fun bus’.

Jean, of Abbey Road, said: “Becca is a lovely little girl who is very bright and very imaginative. Every day the three of us try and have a great time and make the trips to school fun.

“We have built up a special bond with her. I would love to see Becca walk.”

Rick, 40, from Broken Cross, said: “Becca is always happy and smiling, and tries not to let her situation get her down. Jean and I love trying to make her trips to school fun.

“What Becca and her family have to go through is really tough, so I am fully behind their bid for Becca to have this operation and get her up on her feet.”

Becca has a twin sister Charlotte, who does not have cerebral palsy, and a brother Joe, 14.

She can only walk in a walking frame and has to be hoisted in and out of equipment at school.

Becca, who lives in Congleton, has been accepted for the selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery at the St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri. Doctors there believe Becca has a chance to walk with crutches after the surgery.

Her dad Tim said: “With an identical twin Becca has a constant reminder as to what she could do.

“Her dream is to run, which breaks my heart. To be able to just walk on crutches – to you and me you might think that’s still not fully mobile – but to her that is the most amazing thing for her, to be able to get around independently.

“Jean and Rick are like part of the family and so important to Becca.”

To donate visit beccas wishtowalk.co.uk.