PARENTS of an Oakworth toddler with cerebral palsy face another year’s wait to discover whether she qualifies for a life-changing operation.

Nicole Vendettuoli’s parents were hoping to receive the go-ahead for surgery to help their oldest daughter walk soon after her third birthday in October.

But following preliminary tests carried out recently, they have been told specialists cannot make a decision until at least next summer.

Doctors say Nicole is not yet old enough to properly assess her suitability for an operation that will allow her muscles to develop properly.

Nicole’s mother, Candace, said: “They can’t say yet. She’s not strong enough for the operation. It’s just a waiting game.”

The news came as Nicole and husband, Tom, had a second child, daughter Alyssa, who is now two months old.

Nicole was born three months premature and had a brain haemorrhage, which led to her suffering cerebral palsy. Her left arm and both her legs are stiff, making sitting, crawling and walking impossible.

Mrs Vendettuoli said there were several possible treatments for Nicole’s condition, ranging from physiotherapy, botox and muscle relaxants, to a spinal operation that releases nerve stiffness and allows muscles to develop properly.

The Vendettuolis last year launched the Nicole’s Wish To Walk campaign to fund the £70,000 cost of life-changing treatment in the USA and follow-up therapy.

A succession of events organised by friends, family and supporters brought in £35,000 by the end of 2014, but Mr and Mrs Vendettuoli halted the fundraising when they discovered the NHS had decided to make the operation – selective dorsal rhizotomy – available in the UK.

The money already raised will instead be used to supplement Nicole’s treatment, including private physiotherapy and specialist equipment, like walking frames, splints and a treadmill.

Mrs Vendettuoli said eligibility for the operation depended on several factors, including which part of Nicole’s brain had been damaged, her physical strength and her capacity to improve.

She added: “They can’t say yet whether an operation will be the right option for Nicole.

“They have to make sure she is in the best position to make the best of the operation.

“She hasn’t got enough core strength yet. Because the physio is so intense, she needs enough strength for it after the operation.”

Mrs Vendettuoli said the operation would provide a permanent improvement while other treatments, although less invasive, would be only temporary.

She added: “We’re doing a lot of physio, trying to get her to know how to do as much as possible. We're getting her used to the walking frame."