A young boy with a 90-degree spine that bends in the shape of an S is headed for his 11th surgery – but not before he’s ticked off his bucket list of dream activities.
Ollie Godfree was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition that caused his spine to grow with a curve when he was just six months old.
Since then, the 11-year-old has spent a lot of his time lying in a bed or recovering from gruelling operations.
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Ollie has already missed four years’ worth of school and is devastated to be facing more time in hospital.
On 8 October, he will go under the knife once again to have “fusing” surgery – with doctors attaching permanent metal rods beside his spine to help it grow straight.
In an effort to keep her son’s spirits up, his mum, Shannon, aged 30, is planning a bucket list of things that Ollie wants to do before his next operation.
And she’s asking the public for help.
Shannon has been raising funds to complete the bucket list with £445 in the pot so far.
“I feel lucky that Ollie’s had a good year this year,” Shannon, from Broughton Astley, Leicester, told Need To Know.
“The angle of his spine is now 90 degrees.
“To watch your child go through admissions to operations to having different medicines is hard.
“He first had traction surgery in 2020 to stretch his spine as much as possible.
“Ollie had growth rods inserted in 2021 but they became infected.
“He had to have six washouts to clear the infection, plus multiple antibiotics.
“In October 2021, they took half of the rods out.
“He then got another infection and had a full removal in July 2023.
“Now, after all the hard work he’s already had to do, we have to start afresh again.
“To have to find the energy to go through this again scares me.
“Missing school, especially primary, has been difficult for him.
“He’s missed out on school trips, making friends, and a lot of learning.
“That’s why we started the bucket list, to give him something to smile about.”
Ollie has already ticked off some of the items on the list including a meal out with his family after a local restaurant gifted him a £100 voucher.
There’s also a big trip to London that is planned with several activities.
The boy wants to visit Go Ape, an adventure company that has several sites, that have given him a voucher.
Hamleys toy store has reportedly also said it will do something special when he visits.
Ollie is a huge Jellycat fan too, and wants to pop by the stall the brand has in Selfridge’s in London.
In February, during the school break, his uncle also took him to Disneyland Paris, however, this wasn’t actually part of the bucket list.
The entire family were scheduled to go but with Ollie’s pain worsening, his uncle decided to take him early, and due to a quick change of plan, the rest of the family was unable to make it.
Another trip to Disneyland Paris is on Ollie’s list, and he wishes to go back again but this time, with the whole family, especially his brothers.
Shannon is also mum to two other sons, Harry, aged one, and Alfie, aged two.
While she has a partner, she would prefer not to name him.
She said: “Ollie said he would love to go back to Disneyland with his two younger brothers.
“I’m hoping that after the operation we can do it.
“We’re going to London next as we’ve had a fantastic response on Ollie’s GoFundMe so we’re able to go as a family.”
Aside from fundraising, Shannon hopes that by opening up about her son’s journey, she can help raise awareness about scoliosis.
She describes her little boy as a “superhero” and doesn’t want him to miss out on anything in life.
She said: “I don’t feel like there is enough information in schools about scoliosis.
“We are ready for his next operation, and we’re going to give it everything we have.
“Ollie’s words are ‘I’m ready to have better posture and to hopefully feel normal again’.”
“He has taken everything in his stride. He is the bravest of the brave and doesn’t ask for anything.
“I always tell Ollie the world is his oyster and that he just has to go through this chapter.
“I tell him that he will make up for anything he’s missed and it will be worth it.
“He is my superhero.”
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