Angus mum Averil Fleming broke down in tears after finally receiving the dates her twins will receive life-changing surgery.
A seven-month fund-raising campaign for two-year-olds Ayley and Chloe Hirsch has seen over £154,000 flood in from the community and that extraordinary effort has now been capped with confirmation that the youngsters will undergo an operation between January 10 and 13.
The Carnoustie sisters are set to travel to the US for a specialist procedure to eradicate the spasticity in their limbs, created by cerebral palsy.
With Averil to wed fiance Frazer Hirsch in just three weeks, it seems everything is coming together for a family who have been on an emotional journey.
”When I got the email through on the computer I just burst into tears and sat there crying for about 10 minutes,” Averil admits. ”We were given six dates to choose from and it was either January 10, 12 and 13 we could go for, or 24, 25 and 31.
”It really is a dream come true.”
Averil’s eldest daughter Lily will not make the trip, to avoid her missing out on four weeks of school.
While Ayley and Chloe are aware they are going to America to be seen by surgeon Dr TS Park, they are still too young to understand exactly what they will be going through.
”Dr Park will operate on the twins at the same time so their recovery is at the same rate,” Averil added. ”After the operation they will be in intensive care until they have recovered enough to come out, and then there will be a further three weeks of treatment before we can come home.
”All the girls know is that we are going to see about getting their legs fixed.”
Averil and Frazer will wait in a family room while the twins undergo the procedure that everyone hopes will lead to them taking their first steps.
”I don’t know how I am going to be when I see them walk for the first time,” Averil said. ”It is going to be such an emotional day for all of us.
”To have raised over £150,000 in seven months is incredible and I can’t thank everybody who has helped us enough.”
The fundraising effort was recently boosted by a donation of £5,000 from Marathon Oil and a cheque for £1,380 from 70-year-old Carnoustie woman Nan O’Rourke, who undertook a charity skydive.