A hot pink wheelchair for Gigi
Like all eight-year-old kids, Gigi likes to pack a lot into her days. When she’s not at school, she loves to play with her little sister, make home-made pizza or visit her grandparents.
Gigi’s main mode of transport is a wheelchair. The little girl was diagnosed with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy at nine months of age. Specialty equipment is all part of life for Gigi.
But like little girls do, Gigi has grown, and her existing wheelchair didn’t suit her needs anymore.
So her grandfather Roy did some research to see what might better suit her needs.
He realised that the mobility wheelchair Gigi so desperately needed was going to be expensive. He took matters into his own hands, contacting Variety to request financial assistance.
Roy had heard about the work Variety had done, and wondered if they would be able to help his granddaughter with the much-needed upgrade.
It didn’t take long for Variety to approve the funding request. “I reached out to Variety to see if there was a possibility they could help us, and we were thrilled when the answer was yes,” Roy says.
“To be honest, the assistance from Variety really bowled me over. It’s made the world of difference to my beautiful granddaughter. She loves her new wheels.”
The family received a grant for $5,860 to purchase the wheelchair that Gigi needed. The new modern wheelchair features beautiful hot pink detail for the fun-loving child. “Gigi loves her new wheelchair,” Roy says.
Gigi attends a mainstream school with mobility assistance, making the wheelchair crucial to her daily life.
Her parents recently decided to move closer to Gigi’s school so she can walk there each day with the aid of her wheelchair.
The little girl enjoys that daily walk to school in the sunshine with her Mum and sister.
Gigi’s mother Sally has become an adept carer, and shares this knowledge in a local school, where she works as a teacher’s aide three days a week. The job involves helping other children requiring assistance in the school environment.
It has been immensely rewarding for Sally, who loves being able to share what she’s learned with other children as they progress through the education system.
Roy is proud of Sally’s choice to help other families. “Sally is an incredible mother. Knowing she’s helping other children in schools brings her great joy.”
And he clearly idolises Gigi and her five-year-old sister, Fleur.
In fact, Gigi captured his heart from the moment he laid eyes on her. “When she was born, she reminded me of Audrey Hepburn. She’s such a beautiful little girl, inside and out.”
“She’s quiet and reserved in many ways, and bright as a button. She can read, and her comprehension of the stories she’s reading is really good. I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Roy says.
Gigi loves to play with her toys, enjoys play dates with her friends and particularly enjoys a big bowl of pasta – her Mum’s spaghetti bolognaise tops the list every time.
“She also loves to cook, and enjoys making pizzas with her family, which has become a Friday night tradition,” Roy says.
The new wheelchair has been a game-changer for the family. Gigi’s old wheelchair couldn’t be used inside, for a start.
The new wheelchair provides greater flexibility and mobility for Gigi as she moves through her day at a faster pace now.
Mother Sally says that Gigi attended her first wheelchair sports day, run in her local community.
“We also recently took her chair to the beach, where we had our very first walk along the beach as a family. And we can go away in the car for a weekender as a family with her manual chair.”
“Gigi’s mobility in the school yard has also improved now she has her new wheelchair. She can keep up with her friends far easier now,” she says.
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