The family of a severely disabled Bradford boy say his life has been given new hope after a trip to swim with the dolphins in Florida.

Brave eight-year-old Antony Slingsby of Fairweather Green, who suffers from cerebral palsy and is blind and can't walk or talk, played and laughed with the dolphins on the three-week trip paid for by fundraisers.

Now his parents Samantha and Philip say their son's movement and responses have improved and there is the chance he could walk and talk in the future.

"Antony loved every minute of it and he was laughing and playing with the dolphins," said Mrs Slingsby.

"It was an amazing experience and it was wonderful to see him so happy splashing about in the water.

"There hasn't been a miracle but we didn't expect that in a few weeks from somebody who is so severely disabled. But Antony's responses have really improved and his movement is so much better.

"He was having constant physiotherapy and if he had that attention all the time then he could probably walk and start to talk.

"We've learned new things and a whole programme of activities that we can carry on with Antony at home. It's given us real hope for the future."

Fundraisers spent two years raising the £10,000 needed to send the Slingsbys and their two daughters to the Dolphin Human Therapy Centre's base in Miami.

The family also enjoyed a week-long trip to Disneyworld after the two weeks of intensive therapy.

"We all enjoyed it and got so much out of it ," said Mrs Slingsby.

"Antony did so many things we've never seen him do before. He was crawling around, playing with a ball, touching the dolphins and swimming with them.

"We could see a difference in him straight away and he really got on well with the therapists and dolphin trainers."

Now the family are hoping to hire a church hall to show fundraisers the videos and photographs they took of Antony on the trip.

Stephanie Hall, Anthony's great aunt who organised the appeal, said: "Antony just loved it all and it's worth every penny when you see him playing and laughing on the pictures.

"He seems to be more supple and was doing a lot of physiotherapy. The improvements were great and they will probably be even more noticeable when he goes back to school.

"It really has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a very special little boy and we're all very positive about the future."

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