SURGEONS have set a date for an operation that will change the life of a three-year-old Hampshire boy - allowing him to walk unaided for the first time.

Fun-loving toddler James Mills is now just weeks away from undergoing a life-changing procedure that boasts a 100-per-cent success rate.

He is due to have the operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London on February 5 - and could be walking within weeks.

It follows the success of a Daily Echo-backed appeal that raised the £50,000 needed to pay for the surgery and associated aftercare, including months of physiotherapy.

His mum Vicki, 29, of Hythe, said: “It’s a dream come true - James is finally going to get his wish.”

He was born with cerebral palsy and needs a procedure known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), which improves a patient’s mobility by cutting the faulty nerves responsible for muscle stiffness.

Vicki said: “He’s growing but the muscles in his legs aren’t growing with him because they’re so tight.

“Every day he rubs them and says ‘Sore legs, sore legs’,” which breaks my heart.

“His surgery is now less than 30 days away and it’s a wonderful feeling knowing my little boy will finally be pain-free.

“The other day I tried to explain the operation to him for the first time. When I said he wouldn’t be in any more pain he cheered.”

After spending three weeks in hospital James will undergo up to two years of physiotherapy, during which he will be taught how to use “the correct muscles in the correct way”.

Vicki said: “I think the surgeons are very keen to perform the operation before his condition gets any worse.

“It’s not going to be an instant overnight cure, but if he responds well to the physiotherapy he could be walking within months or even weeks.

“SDR has been 100-per-cent successful. I’ve spoken to two surgeons who have carried out the procedure and they’ve never had any problems.”

The seven-hour operation is not normally available on the NHS, which meant Vicki had to find the cash herself.

A large number of fundraising events were held in the Hythe area but her biggest benefactor was former Saints chairman Leon Crouch, of Lymington, who donated about half the money needed.

Vicki added: “I started my appeal in 2014 and would like to thank every single person who has helped us get this far.

“I just want to see James walk and play with his friends.”