A LITTLE boy who has had 25 operations in three years has been referred to a specialist at Great Ormond Street Hospital after doctors in Sheffield ran out of ways to help him.

Alfie Ledgeway, five, was two when he was diagnosed with Arnold chiari malformation and sleep apnoea. It means the lower part of his brain is pushing down on his spinal chord, below the entrance to the skull, causing him constant headaches, balance problems and problems with his eyesight.

Alfie has been treated at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where doctors had wanted to perform a huge operation which could have killed him, or left him paralysed.

His family were not keen for him to have the operation, and medics have now said there is nothing more they can do. Alfie has been referred to a specialist at Great Ormond Street who is knowledgeable about his illness.

Alfie’s nan Hayley, 42, of West Street, Wombwell, said: “We just don’t know what to expect. When we went to one of Alfie’s last appointments at Sheffield, they said they didn’t know what to try next and that they had tried everything they can think of.

“They have done numerous operations and they’ve not worked.

“They had wanted to do this big operation but it could have paralysed him or been fatal, and we are not ready for that. It’s a really big operation and the odds are against him. We’re hoping they can find something else other than that.

“They sent Alfie’s files to Great Ormond Street, and someone contacted us to say could we take him in.”

Even though Alfie was diagnosed when he was two, his family had known something wasn’t quite right when he couldn’t sit up at six months. His crawling and walking were also delayed. But by the time he was diagnosed, the damage to his spine was irreversible.

Hayley said Alfie now has a build up of fluid in his spine, and has been losing his balance and falling over quite a lot. He is also holding his head to the side.

Alfie is currently off school as he is suffering from a cold which is causing him to have nosebleeds.

But his family are determined that he will go to watch Swansea play at home tomorrow where he was be a mascot. The trip has been organised as a surprise.

Alfie is a Barnsley FC fan, but struck up a friendship with former Reds’ player Alfie Mawson which continued after the defender moved to the Welsh side.

Hayley said: “This trip is one of the things that Alfie wanted to do for Christmas, and he will go no matter what.

“Our fear is that if his nosebleeds get worse, he will have to go in to hospital and will then probably miss Christmas.”

Hayley said Alfie was looking forward to Christmas with 19 members of his family followed by his birthday celebrations in January including a birthday party, and lunch at Oakwell before a Reds’ match. Alfie will also enjoy a trip to Kidzania in London, which Jeremy Kyle agreed to paid for when he appeared on his TV show.

He will then go to Great Ormond Street on January 18.