It has been a difficult year for the Weller family, but they’ve received a Christmas miracle.

Three-year-old Ben was born premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He has never walked and has little balance. 

“The day we got the letter that he was approved (for life-changing surgery), it was like we were born again ... we are just so fortunate,” said Stephanie Weller.

The surgery will allow him to finally use his legs. 

“We applied for a surgery in St. Louis, the doctor down there designed the surgery 30 years ago, and we were fortunate to be approved and get a surgery date,” she said. 

Ben is scheduled for the surgery in early 2020, but is on a waitlist, so his parents could get a call two to three months beforehand.

“They will cut into the base of his spinal cord and they use electricity to pinpoint the nerves that have been affected by the brain damage,” she said. “It is a second chance at walking for him.”

Weller says the surgery will cost $60,000, and the whole family will fly out for it. 

“It is extremely expensive, it is not covered by Medicare or any insurance companies in Canada, so we are pocketing it all ourselves,” she said. 

The family wants to thank the entire community for their generosity through a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for surgery.