A FAMILY is in a race against time to raise £60,000 to send their four-year-old son to America for an operation that could change his life.

Ronnie Jacob has spastic cerebral palsy, a physical disability that means he cannot stand without help. But it can be cured by a procedure called selective dorsal rhizotomy.

Surgery involves taking out a vertebrae from the bottom of his spine and removing damaged nerves, giving him the best chance to walk independently for the first time.

But the biggest hurdle for his parents Katie, 29, and Andrew, 43, is paying for the £45,000 operation in St Louis Children’s Hospital, Missouri, which has been booked for May 24.

The family also need to raise a further £15,000 to pay for intensive daily physiotherapy for up to two years afterwards.

Hairdresser Mrs Jacob, 29, of St Mary’s Road, Adderbury, said: “We really need to have £45,000 to go — but we don’t have the money to do that ourselves.

“Until you are ever in this situation you can’t imagine it. To see Ronnie stand independently, run and walk would be incredible.

“We are very lucky with Ronnie, but when you see him next to an average child he’s going to have to fight for things all his life.

“The chance for him to be a normal kid would be everything. ”

They said doctors recommend the best time for a child to have the operation is aged two to five — Ronnie is five in January.

The community has rallied around Ronnie’s appeal organising cake sales, a fashion show, static bike ride, jumble sale and a run, and so far raised have £4,000.

Next month, students at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, Banbury, are planning a week-long street collection to raise more cash.

Ronnie, a nursery pupil at Christopher Rawlings School, Adderbury, was only diagnosed with the condition at 16 months.

There is a similar operation available in this country, but his family say the American surgery is more advanced, has less risk of paralysis and has a much quicker recovery time.

l Tickets have gone on sale for a celebrity charity football match between Sky sports and news team headed by Mike Wedderburn, who lives near Banbury, and Ronnie’s Team, at Banbury United FC, on March 11.

For more information see ronniesjourney.co.uk or call 07789 658813.