VERKONIKA WILL WALK
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When your baby is 1 week old, and she has her 1st MRI and the results aren't what you thought you would ever hear, let alone something you never want to hear......Veronika has an injury to her brain from the bleed she had before she was born, and we believe that it will affect her movement down the left side of her body, and she will most likely never walk.... |
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I guess at that point in you make a decision, one of two possible options I guess. You either think 'oh well, if that's how its gonna be, why bother,' OR 'Yes she will walk, and we will come back in when she does and say I TOLD YOU SO'. |
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I guess at some point after maybe 2 weeks of crying, the later was the one I decided to make. Yes it had been a really hard journey up to that point. We knew Veronika had a massive stroke before she was born. Still don't know what caused it to happen, and never will. Being told she might not survive her birth. Then when she was born being over joyed she was alive, having a quick cuddle, and then watching as she was taken off to NICU. Only to find out very soon after that, she had Down Syndrome and a congenital heart defect. Then watching as she was taken for her 1st MRI at 1 week old, they didn't need to sedate her to keep her still, she didn't really wake up until she was about 2 weeks old... |
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I decided in February, that Veronika needs a hydrotherapy spa at home so she can have hydrotherapy daily, this is what I believe will give her the best chance to learn to walk. Our long term goal at this point is that Veronika Will Walk into her 1st day of Kinder (Feb 2013). A friend of mine, Sallyanne McShane and 2 of her daughters, Jules and Sissy offer to help me raise the $12,000 we needed to purchase the hydro spa and fence it off. She asked a friend of hers Bob Buchanan (The Amazing Ash-ton) to do a magic show at her children’s school, and it snowballed from there. |
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May 28th 2011, Veronika Will Walk day. We held 2 events in Hobart. A 1pm children's show, staring MakeBelieve and The Amazing Ashton, along with our BrightStars, which was our 1st Public performance. We had 168 children join in the fun and many had their face painted by Louise from Colour Me Dizzy. The 7pm show was hosted by Tori Hodgman, and featured singers, comedians and Burlesque Dancing. We also had an auction half way through the evening. The major prize a TopGun flight, we also had a Rotorlift Helicopter flight for 4, and DreamandJustBelieve Photography donated 2x$500 digital collections. We also had 6 other items. We had around 100 adults come to the evening show. |
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The final result, we smashed our goal of $12,000. In fact we more than doubled it. The total to date $25,097.01. |
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Thanks to a donation of $10,000 from a Foundation that heard about Veronika Will Walk and wanted us to have the opportunity to put a roof over it and hopefully some walls, to make it more user friendly through the winter months. We have ordered the Hydrotherapy Spa to be built and hopefully it should be ready for delivery in around 6 weeks. JDM Contracting are going to do the concrete for it to go on, after they read Veronika's story in the Mercury, and our local council are doing the plans for us and waiving fees associated with building. |
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You can follow Veronika's Journey at Veronika Will Walk on FaceBook, or www.veronikawillwalk.org after Veronika was given her own web page! |
By Kylee Davie (Veronika’s mum)