FUNDRAISING efforts continue to help Crosskeys girl Maisie Cooper walk - with her cousin raising money to pay for her physiotherapy..

At just two years old Maisie Cooper, has already faced many challenges after being born premature and learning to live with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.

Born 11 weeks early on January 29, 2011, Maisie weighed just 2lbs 14oz at birth.

Maisie was diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, a condition which means that Maisie’s muscles tense up too much and she struggles with simple tasks such as sitting up and standing up.

The life-changing operation would decrease the tightness Maisie currently suffers from in her muscles and could mean that with the help of intense physiotherapy, she will be able to walk unaided.

Following various fundraising efforts, Maisie’s parents Gareth and Hayley Cooper, have managed to raise the £60,000 needed for Maisie to undergo pioneering surgery in the United States to help her walk.

Now Maisie’s cousin David Cleere, has joined the fundraising efforts by taking part in the Bristol half marathon on September 15 to raise £620 needed for Maisie to undergo intensive physiotherapy in Scotland on September 14.

Maisie will need to undergo the intensive physio sessions every day over the next two weeks to prepare her for the operation next February.

David Cleere, 23, an admin officer, said: “I am a bit nervous about the half marathon but I am looking forward to it.

“I have always wanted to do something like this and over the past couple of years I have taken up road running, so the half marathon came at the perfect time for me to raise funds for Maisie as well as do something I have always wanted to do.”

His partner Alicia, 22, who works in the chemotherapy unit of the Royal Gwent Hospital, added: “A huge amount of the latest donations for Maisie came from the Chemotherapy unit at The Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, with patients and staff largely contributing around £120 of the £620 we have raised from the half marathon.”