Lifesaving operation for Beth

The 18-month-old Shropshire girl had to have rods placed inside her head after she was born with her skull fused together unable to expand as she grew.

Parents, Peter and Claire Smith, from Bishop's Castle, are so grateful for the skills of surgeons at Birmingham Children's Hospital, they have launched a fundraising campaign to say thank you.

Their younger daughter was born with bicoronal crainiosynostosis, only the 61st person in the UK to suffer with the condition. Staff at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital noticed something was wrong when she was just a couple of days old.

A few weeks ago Beth underwent a five-hour operation at the specialist hospital in Birmingham which left her with rods inside her skull on a temporary basis.

Her skull is fused at the front so as her brain grew and her skull did not, the pressure build up dangerously.

"Every day we have had to expand the rods by two millimetres to help her skull to grow," Mr Smith said.

"In a few weeks she will go back into hospital to have the rods taken out and, although she will be left with scars, her skull should then be large enough to cope as she is growing up."

He said his daughter had been incredible.

"Within two days of the operation she was standing up in her cot as if nothing had happened. The doctors were amazed."

He has now launched a just giving page to help raise funds for the Birmingham Children's Hospital and also has a collection box where he works as manager of the Jamie Ward butchers in the Churchstoke shopping centre.

"We give dog bones away free of charge, but customers will put a donation into the box," he said.

"We have already raised more than £900 but would like to keep raising more."

"Jamie has been extremely understanding, giving me time for hospital appointments and allowing us to have a collection box in the butchers."

Anyone who wishes to donate to the appeal should visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Peter-Smith105