When he was just two years old, Eddie was diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy.

“From the outset we were told he had development delay in terms of his mobility so he was a bit slower to sit, stand and walk,” Eddie’s mother Alicia said.

“By (the time he was diagnosed), we had lots of support in place so it wasn’t a real shock.”

“It wasn’t a real negative experience for us. We didn’t really see it as an ‘oh gosh, he got this really terrible, horrible diagnosis’.”

The condition has affected Eddie’s lower body, specifically his ability to walk.

He is currently receiving physiotherapy and hydrotherapy as well as Botox injections into his calf muscles every six months at The Royal Children’s Hospital.

Eddie, who was born prematurely at 27 weeks, also wears Ankle Foot Orthosis, a prefabricated brace designed to support his walking.

“Most of the time he is happy to wear them but he is at an age now where he is starting to notice the difference with the other kids,” Alicia said.

“So some days he’ll push back and not want to wear them. It’s likely he will be wearing them for quite a while though.”

“It’s a bit of a wait and see what is going to work for him in the future because it all really comes down to how much therapy he’s doing at the moment and what strength he can gain as to what support he’s going to need in the future.”

Eddie, who loves super-heroes, Paw Patrol and KPop Demon Hunters, is looking forward to starting school next year.

“He’s always talking about the future and when he is allowed to do certain things like ‘how old do I have to be to sit in the front seat of the car’ and ‘when can I drive a car?’ ” his mother said.

“He’s very much a character. He can be a bit shy at first but once he warms up he’s got a lot to say. He’ll talk to everybody. He’s very inquisitive.”

Alicia said she was grateful for the support at The Royal Children’s Hospital.

“It takes a special kind of person to work at the hospital and every person we’ve come across has been nothing but helpful and passionate,” she said.

“We’re just proud of what Eddie has been able to achieve up until this point. The opportunities he has had are just amazing and we just know it’s the best place. We’re just so lucky to have that resource for Eddie.”