A young boy is set to become the second child from the district this month to fly to America for life-changing surgery.

Six-year-old Evan Whitton is preparing to follow nine-year-old Ben Smithson to St Louis Children’s Hospital, in Missouri, for the same major operation.

Both Evan, from Silsden, and Ben, from Ilkley, suffer from cerebral palsy and are hoping their lives will be transformed by a procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, designed to help them walk unaided.

Evan, a pupil at Aire View Infants School in Silsden, and his family will fly to the US on Monday, January 24.

Evan’s mum and dad, Lynda and Andrew, embarked on a fundraising campaign last summer to raise £45,000 needed for the operation, but nearly doubled that target when residents rallied in support.

Lynda said: “People say there’s no community spirit any longer, but everybody wanted to be involved and wanted to contribute, even if it was only a little bit. It’s brought the community together.”

Meanwhile, Ben is still in America recovering from his surgery, which, if successful, should enable him to walk unaided for the first time in his life.

However, he faces more surgery at the St Louis Children’s Hospital as he continues his recovery.

Next Thursday, Ben will undergo another operation, this time to lengthen his hamstring and his right heel cord to enable him to walk better.

His mother, Charlotte Smithson, said she was amazed with his rehabilitation efforts so far.

“He is amazing to see and the sheer determination in his eyes just proves he wants to get better and stronger and we did make the right decision about the operation,” she said.

Despite smashing the original fundraising target for the operation, Ben’s rehabilitation will still be costly once he returns to England in a few weeks.

To help cover the costs of physical therapists and follow-up treatment, Learn to Rock, a music education company based at Dixon’s City Academy in Bradford, will host a concert of rock and pop music, performed by students.

Among the performers will be nine-year-old Jack Hendy, a talented drummer who goes to school with Ben.

The concert takes place at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 19, with tickets costing £10 for adults and £7 for concessions. Tickets are available by sending a cheque to Learn to Rock, King’s Hall Charity Gig Tickets, c/o Wendy Beaumont, Dixons City Academy, Ripley Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 7RR or Easy Location, King’s Hall Charity Gig Tickets, 49 Boroughgate, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 1AG.

For the latest on Ben’s recovery, go to benswishtowalk.co.uk