Everyone who knows Yazmin knows she eats, sleeps, and dreams gymnastics. Just before her 9th birthday, she was playing in the park when she fell off the monkey bars. I took her to the hospital to get checked, and the doctor mentioned that she showed signs of scoliosis. When we got home, I started to Google what scoliosis was. We were waiting to see a consultant at Bristol Children's Hospital, and we got an appointment really quickly.

Yazmin's doctor was amazing and explained that he thought she had a small curve, nothing over 20 degrees. He sent Yazmin for an X-ray, and while waiting behind the screen, I saw the picture come up. I was shocked and thought to myself, "That’s bigger than 20 degrees," but I tried to hide my shock from Yazmin. When we went back to see the doctor, he looked at her X-ray and said, "I’m really sorry, but Yazmin has an 80-degree curve." I sat there in shock as we were then told Yazmin needed surgery as soon as possible.

The first thing Yazmin asked was, "Can I carry on gymnastics after my surgery?" To then be told she wouldn’t be able to broke Yazmin’s heart, and she started crying, as did I. Yazmin begged them to brace her, but the doctor said it wouldn’t work. They agreed to try it, just to prove to her that it wouldn't work. Yazmin wore the brace for up to 23 hours a day. To prove the doctors wrong, the only time the brace came off was for gymnastics and a bath. The brace has stopped her curve from progressing.

During this time, we found a surgery that will allow Yazmin to continue her gymnastics. Unfortunately, this surgery is not available on the NHS, so we are traveling to Germany for the procedure. We have consulted with the doctor there, who has confirmed that this is the best option for Yazmin. We are scheduled to go on the 12th of November, 2019, to have the surgery. After 12 weeks of recovery, and if Yazmin is up to it, she will be back in gymnastics.

Please help make a gymnast’s dream come true.

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects. If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.