Here at The Goodwill Revolution, we are often moved by the incredible resilience and spirit of the individuals and families we aim to support. Today, we want to share the story of a truly remarkable eight-year-old girl from the Black Country who has captured our hearts. This referral has come to us through the brilliant and dedicated team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, who recognised her need for a more accessible outdoor space.
This brave young lady was born with a severe form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, specifically type III. This is such a serious form of the condition that, tragically, in the past, children born with it often did not survive. Thankfully, due to advancements in medical care, this little fighter is here with us today, though she faces significant daily challenges.
Beyond the extreme fragility of her bones, she also lives with Scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, and restrictive lung disease, requiring CPAP (Oxygen) support during the night. She is fed via an NG tube and is always in a lie-flat pram, unable to sit up for extended periods or walk due to deformed legs and feet. Communication can also be a challenge, with the little girl using sounds and a few words to express her needs. Myopia (blurred vision) further complicates her daily life.
Despite these considerable hurdles, this bright young girl is described as an ‘amazing little girl who would thrive in an outdoor place as she loves being outside’. However, her current home garden is not accessible for her needs, severely limiting her ability to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine she so deserves and loves in her Black Country home.
Imagine the simple joy of feeling the warmth of the sun or the gentle breeze on your face – experiences that are currently out of reach for her in her own home. With summer approaching, we at TGR are determined to make a difference, with the support and initial connection made by the wonderful team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. We want to raise funds to transform her garden into a safe and accessible haven, a place where she can relax, play, and experience the outdoors to the fullest in her own home.
We are reaching out to our wonderful community for your support. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly towards creating this vital outdoor space for her in the Black Country. We believe that by working together, we can significantly improve her quality of life and bring a little more sunshine into her world, with the initial guidance from the experts at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Furthermore, we are making a special appeal to any local gardeners or landscapers in the Black Country. If you have the skills and compassion to help us with this project, perhaps even at cost price, we would be incredibly grateful for your expertise. Your contribution could be life-changing for this young girl and her family right here in our region. We would be sure to share your kindness with our community on our website as well as all our social media channels.
If you would like to contribute to making this dream a reality, please visit this link.
If you are a local gardener or landscaper from the Black Country who can offer your services, please get in touch with us at louise@thegoodwillrevolution.co.uk.
Let’s come together and show this incredible little girl, with the initial support and care from Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the power of community and kindness right here in the Black Country. Thank you for your generosity and support.
Lou and Si x
Please note: The image above is for illustrative purposes only to represent the joy an accessible garden could bring. For safeguarding reasons, we are unable to share the identity of the child.
