IT WAS a special day for a special youngster who is set to undergo a vital operation to help take his first steps.

James Mills had a day out at at Eastleigh’s Silverlake Stadium before their game against Braintree.

The trip to the ground was part of Eastleigh FC helping James’s mother Vicki’s Daily Echo backed campaign to fund the operation to enable him to walk.

The fun-loving toddler suffers from cerebral palsy and needs an operation known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), which improves a patient’s mobility by cutting the faulty nerves responsible for muscle rigidity.

His mum Vicki Mills, 27, launched an appeal to help her son last year after discovering that the life-change procedure was not available on the NHS.

Vicki had already raised more than £25,000 – enough to pay for the actual surgery.

But she was suddenly faced with the daunting task of finding another £25,000 in just six months.

But former Saints chairman Leon Crouch came to the rescue by handing over £25,000.

Mr Crouch was chairman of Saints during its financial crisis in 2007-8 and kept the club alive by paying costs out of his own pocket.

Before Mr Crouch’s donation, Eastleigh FC were keen to help and were hoping to organiser a fundraisier for little James and also put the toddler in their matchday programme twice.

And they gave James a day he will never forget when he was given an all-access tour of the stadium and met the players.

James also got a chance to go onto the pitch before the team’s 0-2 National League defeat by Braintree Town.

Vicki, 29, from Hythe, said:”I never thought of coming here before but Eastleigh have been very supportive of James appeal so I probably will start coming to their home games on the weekend.

“He had a great time all the players were amazing with him and gave him a high-five.”

She added: “I would also like to say thank you to Leon we have met him and we always keep in contact all the time and he always asks about James.”

Vicki also praised the Daily Echo for publishing her campaign, she added:”I always thank the Daily Echo, they were the first media that published James story and it has been very successful.

“I really looking forward to one day seeing him walk."

It is hoped that James will have the vital operation in February.