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Amazing Grace doing well after surgery
Inspirational Grace Jones has defied the doctors after undergoing a major operation to correct a curvature in her spine.
The 10-year-old, after whom the Grace House Appeal is named, had the nine-hour operation at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital just a few weeks ago.
Her recovery was expected to take six to eight months, but the brave youngster has already managed to go back to Sunningdale School, in Sunderland.
Mum Debra, of High Barnes, Sunderland, said: "We were really worried about it. She's had lots of surgery in her life, but this was the one type of surgery we were dreading.
"With it being so huge, there was a risk of losing her."
Grace has a mystery condition that has left her disabled and unable to speak. She has had two previous operations and been anaesthetised for various tests.
Debra, 37, and husband Darren, 38, have known since Grace was three that she would need the spinal fusion operation.
Her spine was curving, pressing on her lung, giving her less breathing space and putting her at risk of recurring chest infections.
The procedure involved putting metal rods on either side of her spine and lifting it up off Grace's lung.
Grace was expected to stay in hospital for a fortnight, but she was discharged after just eight days.
She is continuing to get physiotherapy at home and school, has painkillers when she needs them and needs to be repositioned regularly to keep her comfortable.
Debra said: "It's going to take a while for her to be back to her normal self, but she's doing marvellous, considering."
Although Grace's recovery is going well, this year, for the first time, she was not able to make it to the Race For Grace – the 5km fun run at Herrington Country Park to raise funds for the Grace House Children's Hospice Appeal.
The appeal is raising money for a hospice in Sunderland for children with life-limiting or long-term illnesses and their families.
Debra said: "She has been able to sit in her chair and go out for walks, but there's no way she would have been able to manage the walk round the route.
"We've got to reposition her often, and there would have been no way for us to do that.
"It was the first year we have not been able to go and I was thinking of everybody and I hope they all had a lovely day.
"I want to thank everyone for their ongoing support. It has been a long
time and I want to thank everyone for their patience.
"Hopefully, we will be able to see this place built soon."
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Weather for Sunderland
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
