A BABY with a rare head condition has finished treatment to cure him – thanks to local supporters.

Elland Round Table rallied around to raise money for a special helmet to correct one-year-old George Roderick’s flat head syndrome.

George’s mum Sarah couldn’t get the funding for the ‘Starband’ which manufacturers say reshapes the wearer’s head.

Sarah, of Copres Avenue, Lindley, wanted to give George the best treatment but struggled to stump up the £2,000 to pay for the helmet.

She managed to raise some of the money through family and friends but the cheque from the Round Table has really helped.

Sarah, 25, said: “He’s finished his treatment – he’s been wearing the helmet since October but doesn’t need to wear it anymore.

“He can move his head now because the back of his head is more rounded. Before, it was completely flat and the side of his face was all droopy.

“Now his face is round and chubbier – which I like.”

George has a condition called plagiocephaly which affects the shape of infants’ skulls.

Sarah was told she couldn’t get funding for the special helmet from NHS Kirklees who said there was no evidence to show it would be beneficial.

The mum-of-three said: “I don’t think things would have improved that much if he hadn’t had the helmet – now he’s got the chance of being somewhat normal.

“Now he’s aged one, his skull is going to set and get harder so we had to fix the problem before that.

“The way his head has improved just goes to show that the helmet really works.”

Richard Hirst, incoming chairman of Elland Round Table, raised the money through various fundraising events.

The group raised most of the £500 from hosting a bonfire night and a golf competition.

Mr Hirst said: “I saw the story about George in the Examiner and read about how his mum couldn’t afford to buy him the helmet”.

The 42-year-old added “I thought we could do something to help.

“We had a really good time doing the fundraising as a group of lads going out and doing something worthwhile.

“We like to put the money we raise back into the community.”

Sarah, a chemistry student, will have to pay the remaining £950 towards the helmet from her student loan.

She said: “I’d pay the money again in a heart beat because it’s made such a big difference to George.

“These days children can be so cruel, and we’ve already had comments from other kids about his helmet, so now he can be free of all that and just be a baby.”