 A youngster who has never given up hope he would be able to walk has seen his dream come true by taking his first steps. After years of intensive therapy, Daniel Jervis is beginning to live life like any able-bodied 12-year-old boy. Now his family are looking forward to the day they can see him running around on a football pitch. Daniel, from Coulby Newham, suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy and was unable to walk. He caught the imagination of Teessiders after the Evening Gazette told how he stood up unaided for the first time last year. At Christmas his mum Marilyn spoke of her fear she would never see her son walk because the family was struggling to raise the money to allow him to continue his treatment. Teessiders clubbed together and raised thousands of pounds to enable Daniel to continue to attend the Yorkshire Conductive Education Centre in Wetherby. It was during a three-week summer school, which ended this month, that Daniel took his first steps. Now, holding someone's hand, he is able to walk around. "It's just fantastic and it's a brilliant feeling seeing him walking along while you hold his hand," said Marilyn "He still hasn't taken his first steps independently but he is walking around with no support. "Before he went to summer school if you walked with him you used to put your arms on his shoulders and under his armpits, now you just hold his hand and he is able to walk along with you with no support. "Everybody said how hard he has worked for it this time." Daniel's consultant Richard Montgomery was delighted, she said. "As soon as he finished at Wetherby Daniel had an appointment with Mr Montgomery and he was over the moon with him and said he stands by his word when he said he didn't need an operation," said Marilyn. "It's still going to take more hard work before he can walk independently, but he is becoming stronger and it's also to do with confidence and that's coming along." For the first time, Daniel has been able to enjoy rides at theme parks. "We went to Flamingo Land and he went on all the rides. Because of his mobility he'd never been on them before, but he was driving the bumper cars himself. "He is having a much better quality of life now. We can't wait to see him running around playing football." Daniel will continue his treatment by attending weekly sessions at the Wetherby centre and will also be working with physiotherapists at his new school Priory Woods. "I'd like to thank everyone who has helped him get here," said Marilyn. "Without their help he wouldn't have got here." | 
