Boy's amazing hospital journey . . . from The Falklands to Shropshire

Kailand was referred to the Orthotic and Locomotor Assessment Unit (ORLAU) at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital following initial assessment in Oxford in 2012.

His mum Karen Armstrong-Ford, who is originally from Berkshire, decided to bring her son to Shropshire after reading on the internet about treatments offered at Oswestry.

Since 2012 Kailand has made five trips to the orthopaedic hospital with his mum, dad Paul Ford, who is a Falkland Islander, and older sister Kia, seven.

Within a year of his birth, Kailand was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which meant that regular medical trips back to the UK would be inevitable.

He receives physiotherapy treatment at the hospital and regular checks are made by staff to monitor progress.

When residents of the Falklands require non-urgent, more complex surgical procedures and treatments than the island's small hospital can provide, they are flown depending on need to either to Chile or to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, via military aircraft, to attend a British hospital.

Mrs Armstrong-Ford said: "While we thought the care at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford was amazing, the treatment we have had at Oswestry is out of this world.

"The staff here are fantastic – very knowledgeable, kind and considerate, planning our three appointments each year to coincide with school holidays to avoid too much disruption for Kailand or for me.

"The long haul flight means the trip is at least 28 hours each way, with just one stop at Ascension Island in the middle of the South Atlantic. We do physiotherapy exercises on the plane to stop Kailand's joints from becoming too stiff on the journey.

"Thankfully Kailand enjoys the trip and a local charity kindly paid for his dad and sister to come over with us for the initial referral to ORLAU."

And the journeys do have an added bonus as if means the family get to see their family in the UK.

She added: "Every cloud has a silver lining – my sister, who has a medical condition which prevents her from flying, does get to see the family because of the frequent trips we need to make to the UK for Kailand."

After his diagnosis, Kailand's paediatrician said he would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to walk.

But Mrs Armstrong-Ford said: "Kailand is a very determined, tough and sociable character, is in the top groups of his class in maths and literacy, and has let nothing stand in his way, getting about quite quickly, loving the great outdoors. In fact he is quite a danger to others with the walker device he uses."

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Andrew Roberts said: "We are delighted to be doing the best we can for Kailand. He is a remarkable, bright young lad with a lovely personality."

Since Kailand's diagnosis, his family has been raising funds for the Stephen Jaffray Memorial Fund, which provides flight and accommodation support for the families of islanders with a range of medical conditions. A return flight to the UK costs £1,600.

Kia has already raised over £350 for the Memorial Fund by selling her own artwork.

And the Ford family will also be fundraising both in the UK and in the Falklands for The Movement Centre, a charity at the Oswestry hospital which provides targeted training physiotherapy for children with cerebral palsy and other disorders.