Like many seven-year-old girls, Ava is enchanted by the magic of Disney, with beloved tales such as Tangled, Encanto, and Frozen capturing her heart. She enjoys activities like swimming and trampolining, and family holds a special place in her heart; her twin sister, mum, dad, nanny, grandad, along with her cat Cleo and dog Coco are all very important to her.
But Ava’s journey is different from that of most young girls and boys, as she navigates the challenges that come with her diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy (a group of conditions that affect muscle control and movement). Ava’s type of Cerebral Palsy leads her muscles to alternate between stiffness and floppiness, resulting in unexpected, involuntary body movements or spasm.
Despite these challenges, Ava’s spirit shines brightly. She approaches each day with a sense of wonder and curiosity, eager to explore the world around her.
This month, Ava’s Disney dreams came true as she was granted her wish to go to Disneyland by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A wish empowers a child with choice, when so much else is decided for them; and gives them something positive to look forward to enjoy and look back on during tough times. In doing so, it builds their resilience and provides precious time with their family to create memories they can all treasure forever.
Alongside her at every step of the once in a lifetime trip was Ava’s twin sister Olivia, mum Sam and their close family friend, as well as HASCS Healthcare Assistant Vi.
Sam said,
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to HASCS for supporting us and Vi in making our trip to Disneyland possible. I could not have done it without Vi’s help with Ava. We all had an incredible time, it was truly magical, and I felt like a big kid again! We are all quite exhausted after it!
I am so thankful to have Vi on our team, and I’ve received so many positive comments from friendly people about how attentive and caring Vi was toward Ava. It’s true, how lucky are we to have her. Thank you to Vi and to both of you for making this adventure happen!”
Ava’s story is a beautiful reminder of the power of kindness, care, and making dreams come true.
We are dedicated to providing compassionate, tailored care that supports children like Ava in living life to the fullest. We are incredibly proud of Vi and our entire team for the difference they make every day.
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Together, we can continue to bring smiles, create magical memories, and empower children to embrace life’s adventures.
