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US toddler with rare condition now running after learning to walk for the first time

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Roman Dinkel. (PHOTO: Facebook)
Roman Dinkel. (PHOTO: Facebook)

A two-year-old from Kansas in the US, born with a rare condition, continues to inspire millions across the world.

A video of the little boy defying the odds and walking for the first time went viral late last year after his mother shared the video on Facebook.

He can’t hide his excitement in the video as he tries to show the family dog, Maggie, what he can do after practising for a few days.

Roman Dinkel has spina bifida, a birth defect that prevents the spinal cord from forming properly. He also had hydrocephalus – extra fluid around the brain, CBS news reports.

The two-year-old had two surgeries before his first birthday and one on his spine before he was even born.

Roman’s parents, Whitney and Adam Dinkel, recently sat down for an interview with CBS news where they spoke about the little boy’s progress saying he’s not just walking but running.

The inspirational toddler has even surprised his doctors, according to timesnownews.com.

The little boy recently enjoyed a trip to Disneyland with his family. His parents, who have two other children, said that even though Roman had experienced some breakthroughs, they were still surrounded by constant questions.

“When he gets a headache or something, we have to take that seriously. We can’t just be like ‘Oh, you’re fine’,” Whitney said.

“As parents we have to continue to check the boxes and be like ‘Is this a normal kid thing? Or is this a hydrocephalus thing? Or is this a spina bifida thing?’,” Adam added.

Whitney and Adam have set up a Facebook page that educates people about spina bifida while sharing Roman’s journey and message on the page as well.

Whitney adds that with spina bifida, one’s never fully “out of the woods”

“You just kind of learn to live in the woods.”

Sources: CBS news, timesnownews.com, Facebook page

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