A miracle baby who was the first in Britain to have pioneering spinal surgery while INSIDE the womb has delighted her family with her progress and ability to WALK. Little Frankie Lavis, who has spina bifida, was operated on during the 24th week of pregnancy, a fortnight short of the time limit for such a precarious procedure. It was touch and go whether she would survive and her parents were told Frankie would still spend life in a wheelchair. But now aged two, Frankie has returned to her local hospital to meet the medical team who helped her astonishing start in life. Her parents Gina, 37, and Dan Lavis, 39, say her recovery vindicates their decision to pursue the risky treatment which was carried out at a specialist centre in Belgium.