A nine-year-old girl who had an operation to lengthen spinal growth rods received good luck messages from Luton Town footballers.
Ellisha Hockham, of Ipswich, was born with spina bifida and severe scoliosis and has had eight major spinal operations as she has a curve of 100 degrees.
She goes to Addenbrookes hospital every six months to have the rods lengthened so she is able to grow.
Ellisha and her family are life-long uton Town fans.
Former and current Luton Town players took to Twitter to wish her good luck.
Paul Connolly (@AislPablo) said on Twitter: “Good luck to Ellisha Hockham with your op today. Hope it goes well.”
Her mum, Sally Holkham, said: “The operation went well and she is now recovering, she was overwhelmed with the supportive messages coming through from past and present players especially the one from Pelly Ruddock as that is her favourite player, she one day hopes to personally thank all the players face to face.
“She also has an ambition of giving John Still a big hug for getting Luton back into the football league.”
“Sadly we are unable to attend as many games as we would like due to the cost of travelling expense. Ellisha is a wheelchair user and can only walk a short distance because her spina bifida means a lot of her nerves and muscles are damaged, so are a lot weaker then of a child of her age.
Ellisha is a member of the “Hatters Talk” facebook group, and very fond of the man that runs the group “Stuart Hatters Hoare” who is an absolute star and been very good for Ellisha, she hopes to meet him also one day at a match, because in her own words she considers him her ‘grown up friend’.”