A toddler will be able to take his first steps after a regional daily helped raise £50,000 to help him have a vital operation.

The Southern Daily Echo backed the appeal to help three-year-old James Mills, who suffers from cerebral palsy, undergo an operation known as selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), which improves a patient’s mobility by cutting the faulty nerves responsible for muscle rigidity.

The fund has reached its target thanks to former Southampton FC chairman Leon Crouch, who came forward to pitch up half the cash after reading of James’s plight in the Daily Echo.

The Echo splashed on the good news on Friday, pictured below.

Vicki launched her appeal last year after discovering that the life-changing procedure was not available on the NHS.

Last month surgeons at the world-famous Great Ormond Street Hospital in London agreed to perform SDR on James next year, provided the cash could be raised.

His mum Vicki, 29, told the paper: “It’s taken us 17 long, hard months to get £50,000 but we have finally done it.

“Words can’t express how happy I am right now. It’s been a massive roller-coaster ride but I can finally relax.

“The Echo got this in the media straight away and have been behind us from day one. Thank you so much for your help and support.”