A YOUNG boy in Tarbolton is all set for his life-changing surgery in America after his family recently smashed their fundraising target that could see him walk.

Six-year-old Saul Wylie has been confined to a wheelchair his whole life and an operation to improve his quality of life is now only a phonecall away. His family’s campaign to raise the £80,000 needed to carry out his operation was quickly achieved thanks to the generosity of local donators.

Saul’s mum, Karen Wylie said: “We started our fundraising campaign in May last year and we smashed the target in exactly 33 weeks on Christmas Eve. We’ve now went over and above the target now.

“There’s about £86,000 with money still coming in.

“We can’t believe how quickly it was achieved.”

Saul is a twin that was born 12 weeks premature weighing only 1 lb. At 18 months old, he was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy which has since caused extreme muscle tightness in his legs which can often be painful.

Sadly, the NHS were unable to fund a spinal operation to fund Saul’s condition but he has since became a candidate for St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri, USA.

He is scheduled to have surgery in 2020 but a cancellation would bring this forward now that the funds have been raised.

Karen added:”On December 22, Saul had to go through a whole lot of different assessments, MRI scans, you name it and it all happened about the same time.

“We’re absolutely delighted. It’s been overwhelming the kind of support we have received from the surrounding area.

“People have came out of the woodwork, people I’ve never met before wanting to help. It was two years my husband and I gave to try and raise the money and we did it in 33 weeks.

“Because we now have the funds in place, Saul is on a cancellation list so we’re literally just waiting on a phonecall now to see when we can go!”