A BRAVE youngster has had to turn down the trip of a lifetime -- so she can undergo a serious operation.

Kirsty Gill, of School Hill, Bolton, had been nominated to take part in a visit to Lapland in December with a group of deserving children.

But the determined 12-year-old has decided not to go because it would have meant postponing her surgery.

Kirsty has suffered from many health problems since she was born premature at 24 weeks.

The Woodside School pupil was born with cerebral palsy and spent the first five months of her life in hospital. She contracted an eye infection as a toddler which developed into cataracts.

The youngster is now completely blind in her right eye and is also short-sighted in the other. She is now awaiting an operation to remove her right eye.

Kirsty finds it difficult to get around without the help of her mother as she also suffers from curvature of the spine. One of her legs is shorter than the other and she often loses her balance. She cannot cross the road alone because her eyesight is so poor.

Doctors at the Royal Bolton Hospital have decided that removing the eye is the best option for her and Kirsty will undergo the operation on November 8.

Kirsty, who was due to fly to Lapland with her 13-year-old sister Chantelle and aunt Anita Boston, was offered the option of postponing the operation but she was determined to have it done as soon as possible.

Her mother Karen Ahmed said: "She was so excited about going to Lapland but she knows the operation is really important.

"We asked her what she wanted to do and explained that the operation could be postponed, but she was determined to get it over and done with.

"She is being very brave about the whole thing."

Kirsty will spend four days in hospital after the operation and a month recuperating at home before she has an eye implant fitted by specialists. The implant will have the appearance of a normal eye.

Karen added: "She is really looking forward to getting the implant because she will finally look normal.

"At the moment people are always coming up to her and asking what is wrong with her eye and she is fed up of explaining."