A nine-year-old boy is continuing to recover well from the operation set to change his life.

Ben Smithson, of Ilkley, is five days into his recovery and rehabilitation from the pioneering surgery in America, which could help him walk unaided for the first time in his life.

More than £45,000 was raised for Ben to have the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri last Thursday.

And although Ben, who has cerebral palsy, is not up and active just yet, his mother Charlotte says his recovery is progressing as planned.

The football-mad youngster is receiving physical therapy several times a day and his medication is being reduced.

“His pain was OK as long as you didn’t need to move him quickly,” said Mrs Smithson. “He was able to move himself rolling, but still needed help with his knees.”

She said Ben had been “on good form, chatting, laughing and being his cheeky self”, but also feeling angry and frustrated during his rehabilitation work with his physical therapists.

But all in all she says he is “doing really well”.

If successful, the groundbreaking procedure means the nerves, which are not working properly, have been isolated and put out of action, meaning the only information sent to Ben’s muscles through the spinal cord is correct.

He does face some follow-up surgery in the next few weeks, which has been paid for by fundraisers who helped smash the £45,000 target for the surgery, by Dr T S Park who specialises in paediatric neurosurgery and treating children with celebral palsy.

The extra money will also assist in providing more rehabilitation work in America and at home when Ben and his family return in several weeks' time.

To find out the latest on Ben, go to benswishtowalk.co.uk