text: A five-year-old boy born with parts of his brain in the wrong place has stunned doctors by walking two miles every day. Brave Finley Lamb suffers from rare brain abnormality Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia - which means many of his 'grey matter' cells have not migrated to the correct position. It left the boy, from Wallasey, Merseyside, unable to walk and talk, and with a 90 per cent chance of developing Epilepsy. Finley Lamb, five, pictured with his dad Dan and mother Sara, suffers from a rare brain abnormality . He is also highly likely to suffer heart, lung and bowel problems. But the five-year-old amazed mother Sara when he took his first steps last year and has continued to defy the odds by starting primary school - and he even makes the journey on foot. 'It was around May last year when Finley just got up on his own and walked across the room - we were amazed,' said the mother-of-two, 37. 'It just seemed to click with him and ever since then he has been building up from 50 metres a day, now to two or three miles five days a week. 'His programme says he has to do at least two miles a day and he can even get up curbs now on his own and walk up steps with a rail which is amazing. 'When Finley was diagnosed with PVNH we were told he would probably never walk or talk - but now he is in mainstream school and playing with the other kids and his little brother. 'We just can't believe his progress. We never thought he would be able to lead an independent life, but now there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to. We are so pleased.' Finley defied the odds to take his first steps last year and now enjoys walking the two miles to school . Finley made huge progress after he started a programme designed specifically for him by the Family Hope Center, based in Philadelphia, USA, just two years ago in April 2013. The centre treats children with special needs and developmental delays and suggested special exercises and lifestyle changes intended to stimulate Finley's brain. Finley was diagnosed with PVNH when he was two years old, which affects around just 50 children in the UK. But the determined schoolboy has made huge developments - with his brain function going from 54 per cent to 76 per cent and his mobility increasing from that of a seven-week-old baby to a two-year-old toddler. And he now attends St Peter and St Paul Primary on the Wirral, Merseyside. Sara - who also has a three-year-old son Noah with husband Dan - said: 'Finley has made so much progress and that is why I am so passionate about getting this message out. 'It is hard to think what he would be like had we not found the Family Hope Center and he still wasn't able to walk or talk. And he was under a lot of emotional stress. 'At three-and-a-half he wasn't walking or crawling, he slept in a cot like a baby and couldn't speak at all. 'Now he doesn't stop talking. I nearly crashed the car one day because he said his first sentence and said 'Mummy I don't want to go there'. I thought there must have been someone else in the car. Finley's mother Sarah, pictured with him left, said: 'We never thought he would be able to lead an independent life, but now there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to' 'I think sometimes there is a misconception that disabled children don't realise what they are missing, but it was shocking for us to find out just how much Finley actually does understand. It is a neurological disorder caused by clumps of grey that did not move to the correct location in the brain during early development. PVNH can cause seizures, breathing problems, joint problems, intellectual delays and other concern. It affects just 50 children in the UK. Little is known about the long term outcome of patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia . 'He is very determined to do things now and he questions things when he cant do them. 'His behaviour has changed so much and I didn't think that was possible. 'He is so much more confident and independent, and just like a normal child now. It is amazing - he won't let me do anything for him now. 'It has been hard work for us, but if it is working you don't care how much effort or time it takes. I think he will have another year or two left on the programme then he should be finished.' Finley is due to have his fifth appointment with the Family Hope Center in Liverpool next week - and has visited the center in Philadelphia three times.
target: Finley Lamb, five, suffers from Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia .
  Means many of his 'grey matter' brain cells are not in the correct position .
  Schoolboy should not be able to walk or talk but has defied the odds .
  Now has started primary school and walks two miles every day .