Gemma may only be nine, but she has lots of big goals and dreams. A dancer, rock climber, dog lover and budding scientist, Gemma was the shining star of our recent tax appeal. Her story captured the hearts of many, just as it did ours, thanks to supporters like you who showed their support through generous donations.
When Gemma was just five months old, her mum Nova noticed that her eyes would tear up and get a little red, and she seemed to be sensitive to light. Nova clearly remembers her heart sinking when her GP said he wanted to refer her to see an ophthalmologist.
‘I kept thinking, what can this be?’ said Nova. Within weeks, Gemma was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma, and had four surgeries before she was 18 months old.
Gemma’s family lived in the UK in those early days, and Nova says their connection with Vision Australia when Gemma was two was life-changing.
‘I can't think of anything that she doesn't do. Our occupational therapist, Alessandra, is by our side, and continually coming up with ways for Gemma to learn, from tying shoelaces, tying up her hair to learning how to button up shirts.
‘Gemma doesn’t like drawing attention to herself, it's just not her style. So Alessandra finds different ways, making it as easy as possible for Gemma. Things like identifying her school bag by putting something colourful on it, or how to open her lunch box and packets of biscuits inside. Now we are getting ready for Gemma’s first camp, which includes kayaking and abseiling. We are sure Gemma will have a go at everything!’
Nova says having access to Vision Australia very early on makes a big difference. ‘If we had not had extra help from when she was just two, there could have had an adverse effect on Gemma’s development. Learning how to make things easier for her from an early age was so significant.’
These days, nothing slows Gemma down. She is brimming with confidence because of the wonderful support she and her family have received since their first connection with Vision Australia, and it’s all thanks to generous supporters like you.
Your compassion gives more children like Gemma who are blind or have low vision access to specialised support and crucial orientation and mobility training, meaning greater independence and confidence.
Gemma’s mum, Nova, has a very special message to you. ‘Vision Australia has been there for us since day one, thanks to people like you. Your very generous response to this appeal will enable other parents to receive the same amazing support that we have experienced!’