A WHOLE new world of fun could open up for six-year-old Katie Connolly (pictured) if an ear operation she is due to undergo today is successful.

Katie, who dreams of being able to dive into pools, surf in the sea, sail and snorkel with sea lions, has not been able to go near the water for a very long time, as her mum, Jo, a GP, explained.

‘Katie had an ear infection at 17 months which damaged her ear drum. Although most heal themselves over time, her’s unfortunately never did.’

This has meant that Katie had to miss out on a lot of what it means to be a Guernsey child.

‘She has not been able to swim for a long time. She has had to sit on the side while all her friends were having fun and not been able to join in,’ she said.

The family tried using earplugs but they did not always work and the risk of damaging Katie’s hearing was too great, said her father, Jason, who works in IT.

‘It is amazing how much it has affected her and her little brother, Ollie, and all of us really. She can’t be splashed and we have to be very careful washing her hair,’ he said.

But all that could change today.

‘Last summer all of her friends were down at the beach with her but she couldn’t join in much, so now she has made a wish list of things to do if all goes well, including a swimming party for her birthday in June.’