A MUM has raised more than £1,500 to help meet the cost of a specialist helmet for her daughter which will help her head grow normally.

Theresa Lovegrove set out on a mission to raise cash for the helmet after her one-year-old daughter Robyn was born with plagiocephaly – also known as 'flat head syndrome'.

It is usually caused by babies spending a lot of time on their back.

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But Robyn was diagnosed at just four weeks old, and her mum was told it was because of her breech position in the womb – which meant she was born upside-down, legs first.

The mum, who lives in Ardley just outside of Bicester, said when she was born nothing else was said.

However at a check-up she was referred to Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital and there she told Robyn had the condition, as well as torticollis and hip dysplasia – which have since been corrected with stretches and harnesses.

Miss Lovegrove explained that a rough timeframe of 14 to 16 months is given to correct the flat spot on a babies head – but after that point it will not improve anymore on its own.

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However because the condition is considered 'cosmetic' by the NHS in most cases, she was not able to get a helmet to help Robyn's head shape any more, and would have to pay nearly £2,000 for private treatment.

Not having the money available, she decided to try and raise it.

She said: “I felt really awkward setting up the Go Fund Me page and asking for cash.

“We spent a lot of money on our puppy before she was born because it needed surgery – so we had spent all our savings on our dog.

“We can’t spend money on our dog and not our daughter.”

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She tried to raise the cash for the first instalment through family and friends but had to turn to the public and ask for help after seeing others do it on Facebook groups and online support groups for parents with babies who have a similar condition.

A total of 45 people have now donated £1,527 to the fundraiser, smashing the target of £1,450.

She said: “Everybody’s been so generous. I work for the Blue Cross and a lot of people have said they want to help me now.”

She said any extra money will be donated to similar causes.

The fundraising page can be found on Go Fund Me by searching for ‘We are raising money for Robyns Timband helmet’