THE Chorley family have held a party to thank everyone who has helped their daughter Nicole win her long battle to walk for the first time.

The family, from Westwood, organised the party at the Riverside Inn, Bradford on Avon, on Saturday evening.

Around 100 people who’d help raise around £60,000 in the Nicole’s Goal appeal, which paid for the six-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer’s pioneering surgery in Missouri, USA, were there.

Nicole, who had been wheelchair-bound, had two operations, on her spine, hamstrings and tendons at St Louis Children’s Hospital which has enabled her to walk freely.

Mother Tracy Chorley, 46, said: “The night went really well. Our thinking behind it was to get as many people together as possible, who had been involved with Nicole’s Goal, and say thank you.

“It was quite a nice for us to meet a few people who were heavily involved in fundraising but we’d never seen face-to-face before.”

Mrs Chorley said that the event was also the first time many of the fundraisers had seen Nicole walk and it was quite an emotional sight.

She said: “Since Nicole has started walking I’ve noticed a huge change in her, she’s so confident and becoming stronger each day. She is becoming very independent and is loving getting the opportunity to get involved with playtime at school.”

Nicole is currently having an hour of physiotherapy each day to build up the strength in her muscles. Each week she has two sessions at the Royal United Hospital Bath, one session in Trowbridge and two with her mother in the summerhouse at their home.

At the party Nicole was given a cheque by motorcyclists group Sundowners M.C.C for £685 which will go towards her ongoing therapy.