Parents Leigh Westerman and Samantha Paish, of Pontefract, created an internet forum to meet other people affected by the disability after being told their ten-week-old daughter, Teagan, may never walk.

The group has been so successful it has decided to hold regular meetings.

Leigh, 24, of Chequerfield Road, said: “We have made new friends through the site – we even have our first international member from New Zealand. After Teagan was born, we decided we wanted to give her the best chance in life. We will never lose hope that one day she will be able to walk.”

The tot was born by a planned caesarean three weeks early – but just hours from birth was rushed into surgery for a six-hour operation to close her spine and install a shunt.

Leigh, who has another daughter, Emily, six, said: “Teagan has had an appointment with the neurosurgeon who did her operations and he is very happy with her progress. He does not need to see her for 12 months, which is great.

“She is putting on weight and is very alert – we are now just awaiting an orthopaedic appointment to see about her feet because she has club foot, but she does not have any pain and her overall progress is marvellous.”

The group’s first meeting will be held at the Harvester restaurant near Xscape in Castleford at 7.30pm on Thursday November 6. For the support group’s website, www.yorkshirespinabifida.org.