Three brave Angus youngsters have inspired a Montrose man to make a bid for life-changing surgery.
Montrose businessman Graham Henderson (44), who suffers from cerebral palsy, would be one of the oldest people in the UK to have the operation.
Mr Henderson, owner of Graham’s Garden Care, went for a consultation at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol but was assessed as unsuitable for selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) because of his age.
The operation involves cutting nerves in the spine so only the correct signals get through, which would allow Mr Henderson to walk without difficulty and help his speech.
He is now trying to find a surgeon in the USA who might be able to help him, and his journey is to be documented by a film crew focusing on cerebral palsy in adults.
Carnoustie twins and cerebral palsy sufferers Ayley and Chloe Hirsch and were unable to stand or walk unaided before undergoing the operation in the US last year.
Fellow Carnoustie girl Brooke Ramsay also underwent the pioneering surgery at Frenchay Hospital in the summer and can also now walk and run with her friends.
The girls’ stories, played out in the pages of The Courier, inspired Mr Henderson.
He said: “When I was born this operation wasn’t around or life could have been different for me.
“When I read about Ayley, Chloe and Brooke, it got me thinking about pursuing the idea and I’m now trying to find a doctor.
“There are only four surgeons in the world who will do it and the doctor in Bristol won’t operate on anyone over the age of eight. He told me I should be more active which I couldn’t believe because I’ve been working as a gardener for 24 years.
“Although I’m still able to do my job I suffer from muscle pain in my back and leg and a speech impediment because of my condition.
“I want to get this operation before things deteriorate because the last thing I want is to eventually end up in a wheelchair.
“Once I can find a surgeon willing to operate, I will then look at raising the money I need to achieve my dream.”
The US hospital where Ayley and Chloe underwent surgery does carry out the operation on adults but its cut-off point is the age of 40.
Mr Henderson got in touch with the production team of the film, the Nerves of Us, after they put out an appeal for participants on Facebook.