Botox injection helps boy to walk

Oliver was diagnosed with cerebral palsy

A four-year-old boy who was told he would never walk unaided has taken his first steps just a month after being given a revolutionary treatment.

Oliver Smith from Rothwell, Northants, had his muscles injected with botox in April to help him walk.

Oliver was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 18 months old and had only ever been able to walk with the help of splints and walking sticks.

His mother Sarah, 24, said: "He looked like the cat that got the cream."

She said: "It was unbelievable, there was no warning. It was not prompted, he just let go and did it."

He has started to move between equipment and furniture at school without sticks which is great. Sarah Smith

Oliver suffers from spasms which cause the muscles in his legs to become tight and make walking difficult.

The botox injections work by relaxing the tendons in his calves, allowing him to put his feet flat on the ground.

Sarah, who also has a six-month-old son Evan, added: "He has started to move between equipment and furniture at school without sticks which is great."

Oliver will be given follow-up botox injections at Kettering hospital every six months to two years.