A young Sydney girl who doctors said would be in a wheelchair or walker for life has learned to stand and take her first independent steps.

Isabella Lombardo, 6, has proudly told the ABC she can stand for "80 seconds" by herself.

"It's a bit scary and exciting at the same time," Isabella said.

"Soon I want to walk all by myself without Mumma even touching."

Isabella has a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia and needs a wheelchair, walking frame or someone's assistance to move around.

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In December 2016, her parents took her to the United States for a controversial operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), where a surgeon cut parts of the abnormal nerves connecting muscles to the spinal cord, and by cutting those signals the muscles can relax.

It took Isabella three months to recover from the operation, then she began a regime of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions to reprogram her muscles' movement patterns and build strength.

By December 2017, then aged five, she was walking with canes, riding a modified bicycle, and running in her walker.

During 2018 Isabella underwent stem cell treatment in Mexico, intensive physical therapy in Texas and more physical therapy in Sydney.

She can now stand, take 55 steps independently in a pool, take two steps independently on solid ground and take several steps on solid ground with help from her parents or carers.

"I think the most beautiful thing is to see her self-esteem lift through it all and that's why we do it all, because we know that Isabella just loves to be more independent," Isabella's mother Libby Lombardo told the ABC.

"It's been hard to go off for surgeries and go for treatment and to do all the intensive therapy she's done this year, but to see her joy, and her standing, and her riding that bike independently along the path at Manly Beach, it's like 'wow look at the payoff'."

Making special needs bikes more affordable

Isabella's father Joseph Lombardo said his daughter had exceeded expectations.

"One of our therapists this year said: 'Once she can take two steps why can't she take 100?' So I think that's the goal you move from two to three to 10 and from there," Mr Lombardo said.

Mrs Lombardo said she was content with whatever her daughter was capable of.

"We know Isabella wants to walk but it's about Isabella reaching her full potential, no matter what that is," she said.

"If that means taking steps then that's fantastic but if it's not, she's still perfect in our eyes."

The determined six-year-old reached another important milestone in 2018 by starting school.

Isabella has taught her fellow students a lot about empathy, her teacher said. ( ABC News: Mazoe Ford )

"What's really special about Isabella is the fact that she really keeps working at something, she doesn't give up, she never grumbles and she just keeps going," kindergarten teacher Karen Rose told the ABC.

Ms Rose added that having Isabella in the class had also had a positive effect on the other children.

"They have learnt to be very nurturing … it's brought out a real empathy and a real awareness of differences but also what is the same about each and every one of us — it's been fantastic for all of us," Ms Rose said.

The year ahead is shaping up to be another busy one for Isabella and her family.

They plan to release a documentary about Isabella's journey, start a foundation and modify donated bicycles to give away to other children with cerebral palsy through social media competitions.

Isabella with her mum Libby and dad Joseph. ( ABC News: Mazoe Ford )

"Unfortunately special needs bikes are extremely expensive for a special needs family because we already have enough costs as it is and those bikes can cost in excess of $2,000 each," Mr Lombardo said.

"We're giving away 20 bikes to special needs children around the world, and designing and making them to suit children with cerebral palsy.

"Beyond that we are raising awareness about the cost of the bikes and trying to find a solution to bring bikes to children around the world at a reasonable cost."