NINE years after her daughter was helped by an Oxfordshire hospital, mum Tanya Ball is passionate about helping other young patients.

She is to hold a 1950s themed fundraiser in a bid to raise £5,000 for Oxford’s Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

Olivia, now nine, was diagnosed with developmental dysplasia of the hip or ‘clicky hip’ shortly after she was born.

In most cases doctors can manipulate the hip back into place and tots have to wear a plaster cast for between six and 12 weeks.

But Olivia’s hip had dislocated and at eight months she went under the surgeon’s knife and afterwards had to wear a body cast for three months.

Mrs Ball, who lives with husband Peter in Forsythia Close, Bicester, said: “Olivia is nine now and all she has is a lovely scar. When I say to her what can’t you do, she says ‘I can’t do the splits’.

“She does everything she wants to , it hasn’t affected her at all.

“But I know for a fact a lot of children go on to develop future problems.”

Mrs Ball, an assistant manager at a store in Bicester Village, said she will never forget Olivia and the family’s ordeal.

She said: “When she was in traction it was tough.

“She was laid on a bed for two weeks, her legs were up in the air and weighted.

“She had to be like that for 23 hours a day and was only allowed one hour off.

“That was not successful and Olivia had an operation to cut through tissue and set the hip in place.”

For three months afterwards she wore a plaster cast from above her waist down her left leg to her ankle and down to the knee on her right leg.

Now Mrs Ball is to host her second fundraiser to raise £5,000 for a specialist weighing machine for the children’s ward. On Saturday, February 26, Bicester Hotel, Golf and Spa at Chesterton, will be transformed into a 1950s American Diner.

The Groove Company will provide music from the times and revellers will dine on burgers, doughnuts and alcoholic milkshakes.

Mrs Ball, 37, is urging businesses to donate prizes for an auction.

She said: “Last time I raised £2,500 from the auction alone and had prizes such as Manchester United tickets, a meal on a yacht in London and Morecambe and Wise memorabilia.

“I’m struggling this time – I’m doing it in February just after Christmas and in this economic climate people are a bit more reluctant to give.”

Lower limb condition charity Steps estimates one or two in every 100 babies is born with a hip problem, with girls most affected. Among the causes can be a breech birth or if there is a family history of hip problems.

bicester@oxfordmail.co.uk Contact Mrs Ball on 07805 029904