THE dream has come true for a 16-year-old Kenyan girl who has had a successful life-changing operation with the support of the people of Otley.

Grace Mbuthia told the 'Wharfedale' this week that she was looking forward to seeing her friends and family and being able to play sport after her operation to correct the congenital scoliosis of her spine.

The painful condition, which meant that Grace's spine was twisted and affected her internal organs, was operated on by Professor Robert Dickson and his team at St James's Hospital in Leeds. Both Professor Dickson and the anaesthetist who worked on Grace's surgery agreed to waive their fee.

The operation, which is not available in Kenya, has been made possible due to the fundraising efforts of Colin and Ann Claxton of Wrenbeck Drive, who decided to help Grace when they met her on holiday in Kenya and saw she suffered the same condition that their own daughter, Nicola, had corrected years before.

With help from many corners of the world, Grace's local community and family, friends and contacts of the Claxtons, and the community of Otley, the sum of £17,000 was raised to bring Grace to Otley.

Grace, who is now recovering steadily, said: "I feel great. My dream came true. I am looking forward to seeing my friends and my family."

Grace said that she was helped in her recovery by her Christian faith.

She said: "First I thought I wasn't going to make it, but then I felt that everything was going to be okay. I was praying everyday."

And now she is looking forward to a new life with the chance to be able to play sport, such as tennis and swimming.

She said: "People used to call me names and when I used to go to town with my sister, they used to look at me. When I saw them look at me, I would look at them back and they stopped looking at me."

Grace's mum, Joan, 40, said: "Now it is a new start and I can see a lot of difference because I have known her since birth. I can see it is a very big change."

Mr Claxton, 57, praised the work of the nursing and medical staff at St James's Hospital for their care, attention and compassion. He said: "I think we just praise God for answering prayer. We have seen a wonderful answer to prayer in that the operation has been a great success. Professor Dickson is very pleased with the results.

"Local people made Joan and Grace feel loved at this time away from home, over Christmas and during the time of the operation, people sent gifts and cards to the

hospital and visited.

"The last thing to say is thank you to all those who have contributed to the fund because without their contribution, it would not have been possible. Some people have contributed to the fund and I have never met them, they have just sent donations through the post as a result of the articles in the Wharfedale Observer."

Grace is now using crutches to walk and has to wear a special fibreglass jacket for the next three months to help her corrected spine fuse. She is hoping to be able to return to Swaziland, where she and her family now live, at the end of next week.

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