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British lottery winners pay for surgery to help 3-year-old girl walk

This summer, lottery winners Colin and Chris Wier donated a new prosthetic leg to a young Olympic torchbearer.

The generous millionaires are now funding a £28,000 ($44,400 CAD) operation that will help a 3-year-old girl walk.

Skye Swinton from Gloucestershire, England, suffers from spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, which makes her unsteady on her feet and unable to get far without a wheelchair.

Skye's mother, Ruth, wrote to Britain's biggest lotto winners — the Wiers won £161m ($253 million CAD) in a EuroMillions draw last July — asking for help.

The Weirs agreed to help.

"I sent the letter months ago and I just thought it would have been politely binned, so to get the phone call with the news was just fantastic," Ruth told the Daily Record, adding that family and friends were only able to raise a small fraction of the much-needed surgery's cost.

"Skye faces many challenges in the next year and she needs her mum and dad to be focused on her. That's why we've given a donation," the Weirs shared in a statement. "Without the additional worry and pressure of fundraising, their time can be spent on Skye."

Thanks to the Weirs, Skye is expected to have surgery next summer following medical assessments.

"There are still a number of medical hurdles to overcome, but now that we have raised the money we need, we can now concentrate on helping Skye reach her full potential. We just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone — both in the Echo offices and your readers — for all your support," Ruth told the Gloucestershire Echo. "We were absolutely blown away with the support we've had, and the generosity we have been shown."