Phoebe Bury fundraising in Helston, Cornwall for scoliosis brace

However, this has brought further complications for Phoebe Bury, as the cerebral palsy she has lived with all her life has now resulted in scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.

This, her family said, had come on "very fast" for the Helston 12-year-old, who will turn 13 in March. If it continues to worsen then it could lead to her heart and lungs starting to be compressed.

"Unfortunately, due to her cerebral palsy, scoliosis was always on the cards when she hit puberty," they said.

"This has been the case and has come on very fast, and in just 12 months she already has a 50 degree curvature. If we get to 80/90 degrees the heart and lungs start to be compressed."

Phoebe's aunt, Samantha Lote, has set up a fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/phoebeourlittlestar to raise £3,000 for a specialist brace, to help slow down the curvature.

Currently it has raised £590 of the total, and the family is hoping to hold a coffee morning in the future to help boost the total also.

Phoebe is due to turn 13 in March

Phoebe's mum Maria said: "Massive thanks to everyone who has donated so far, this will really help.

"We just want to make sure we can do everything possible to help her, so when she gets to adulthood she still has the movement and independence to lead as close to an independent life as she can."

Phoebe goes to the Curnow School in Redruth, having fought back from the brink as a baby.

Samantha said: "Phoebe was born 11 weeks early, weighing just 1lb 14.5 oz. She fought hard to stay with us, it was a rocky road suffering Necrotising enterocolitis and a severe chest infection at four weeks, and being too ill to transfer to Bristol.

"But after four months in NICU she came home – hooked up to oxygen and on a concoction of medicines, but she was home and she thrived from then.

"Phoebe has continued to amaze us and her medical team, she loves to take on a challenges and has pushed hard for as much independence as she can achieve, even when the medical staff have said she couldn't achieve something. We pushed for her to try and she succeeds daily.

"We, as a family, never let 'no' be an answer for her."

Unfortunately, after battling to get a scoliosis diagnosis, the family has been left facing delays due to extended appointment times, with the pandemic also resulting in frequent changes or cancellations – and what Phoebe needs is speed, before her curvature gets any worse.

"We find ourselves where the only solution in helping Phoebe is going private and, the problem then, is the price tag to go with it.

"This brace, which will need changing every time she has a growth spurt, is going to cost around £3,000.

"We have always done whatever we needed for Phoebe to grow and flourish to her full potential and found the money to give her the best life, like any other child, but this cost is one that we will struggle to make and would impact, significantly, on my younger nieces as well," added Samantha.

"We are proud of what we have achieved as a family for Phoebe and would never normally create a page like this;it's been our friends and family pushing us to do it that got us here.

"So please, if you can spare £1, help us to provide my niece with the much need body brace, to help slow the curvature, then we would be eternally grateful."