THE little girl who has captured Star readers’ hearts could soon be taking a giant step forward to her dream of walking unaided for the first time.

Staff at restaurant chain Frankie & Benny’s are pledging to raise £60,000 throughout July to help five-year-old Susanna Petersburska from Eccleston have a life-changing operation.

Susanna suffers from cerebral palsy and she has never taken a step unaided. She needs to have a life-changing operation in the US which will enable her to walk without the support of a walking frame for the first time and transform her life. The operation claims a guaranteed 100% success rate.

Susanna’s father, Andy, works at the Widnes branch of Frankie & Benny’s and has worked for the company for seven years in numerous restaurant locations.

The restaurant chain held a nationwide fundraising campaign over the weekend whereby the sales from every did’s meal purchased that weekend goes towards the Help Susanna Walk Appeal.

There will also be many other fundraising activities taking place at every Frankie & Benny’s across the country such as raffles, lucky dips, colouring competitions for kids and much more.

Monika, Susanna’s mother, said: “Without this operation, Susanna will be a full-time wheelchair user and will miss out on all of the things she is so desperate to do.

“We’re so grateful to everyone who has donated so far and for the help and support we have received from Frankie & Benny’s. We’re confident we’ll raise the money needed to get our little girl to Missouri and help her to walk.”

Danny Breithaupt, managing director of Frankie & Benny’s, added: “Susanna is a very special little girl and we wanted to help make her dreams become a reality by raising the £60,000 she needs for the operation.

“We truly believe we can meet our fundraising target and want to encourage customers, old and new, to come along to their nearest Frankie & Benny’s and help this very worthy cause.”

The money raised will pay for Susanna and her family to travel to and from the USA, cover their living costs while Susanna is undergoing treatment and also fund post-operative physiotherapy and equipment upon their return to the UK.

Also helping Susanna’s family raise the money for the operation are national charity, Caudwell Children, who support families caring for sick and disabled children.

You can find your nearest Frankie & Benny’s restaurant by visiting the store locator on the website frankieandbennys.com/ restaurants/find-restaurants For more information on the Help Susanna Walk Appeal, visit helpsusannawalk.com.

You can also donate by phone (call 0845 3001348 and quote Susanna SDR appeal), by texting WALK96£(amount) to 70070, online at justgiving.com/ helpsusannawalk or by sending a cheque to Susanna Appeal Caudwell Children at Caudwell Children, Minton Hollins Building, Shelton Old Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7RY.