A brave Tayside youngster who has overcome numerous challenges in her young life is facing another personal battle.
Chloe Hirsch, 10, and her twin sister Ayley were born with cerebral palsy and underwent pioneering surgery at the St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri in the United States.
The Angus girls spent eight weeks in America completing intense physical therapy.
Since 2012 they have had a series of surgeries to help them progress.
However, Chloe and her parents Averil and Frazer have now been told she needs more invasive surgery later this year to help combat curvature of the spine.
Specialists at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee believe the problem is stemming from her left hip.
Chloe is now on a strict fitness regime to lose weight to ensure the surgery goes ahead in September or October.
The operation is expected to last five and a half hours and Chloe is likely to face three or four months of rehabilitation afterwards.
The Carnoustie family are hoping community support will once again give Chloe a boost to get better.
Averil said: “Chloe has to lose between one and a half and two stones in the next three months. This is going to be hard as she is not as mobile as most people.
“We knew she needed surgery but didn’t realise how big it would be.
“At the moment the hip is sitting out of place. There is a curvature at the bottom of the spine.
“We think the problem with the hip is pushing Chloe’s pelvis out of line.”
Chloe has taken to social media and has set up an Instagram account to allow people to follow her progress.
Averil said she was proud of how her daughter was facing up to the latest challenge.
“When she found out she had to undergo hip surgery she was quite devastated,” she said.
“But she has come round and she is on the right track now.
“It is just a matter of us encouraging her – we were in a bit of shock when we found out about the operation and she was extremely upset.”
Chloe is now on a strict diet and is working out at two gyms – with her uncle, Chris Fleming at Empire Health and Fitness in Arbroath, and with Cal Owens at Caledonia in Carnoustie.
The Carlogie Primary School pupil is also swimming three afternoons a week.
The family, including the twins’ sister Lily, 14, have had the full support of the local community who helped raise £80,000 to take them to the States after the twins were unable to stand or walk in their early years.
Chloe had to have another operation on her heel chords and hamstrings in America in 2014 and last year Ayley underwent an operation on a foot which has helped her running.
