A nine-year-old boy has said a big thank you to everyone who contributed money to his life-changing operation in America.

Ben Smithson will return home to the district this week to continue his rehabilitation after what he described as the “biggest journey of his life” to the St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri.

The Ilkley youngster, who has cerebral palsy, underwent the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) procedure, followed by another operation to lengthen his hamstrings and heel cords.

Now he has thanked everyone involved in his surgery and recovery and those who helped raise more than £45,000 to send him to the US. “I feel fine now after both operations,” he said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting me on the biggest journey of my life, I could not ask for anything more.”

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