For a child like Ella, a kind donation could be the difference between what’s essential – and what’s truly possible.

 

Meet Ella.

Ella has been called one in a million her whole life. But that’s not entirely true.

She’s actually one in eight billion - because there’s no one else on Earth with her combination of rare diagnoses.

At Ella's 20-week scan, the doctors had trouble finding her heart, but nothing prepared Ella and her mum, Molly, for what was to come.

But from the first moment Molly saw Ella, she knew her precious little girl was her soulmate and that they were going to fight for life - together.

Ella was born without a fully formed airway and couldn’t breathe on her own. Her organs were rotated 180 degrees. Her spine pointed outwards and her spinal cord was severed. Her bladder couldn’t empty on its own. She had brittle bones, a club foot and a heart that didn’t work correctly… and the list just continued on and on.

The doctors couldn’t find a single diagnosis for Ella. Just a long list of very rare and complicated things.

Her mum Molly calls it ‘Ella Syndrome’ and to her, it means someone who can do the impossible. 

And it suits her perfectly, because Ella is 12 now. And she’s a miracle.

Ella joined Ability WA’s Early Childhood Intervention program when she was three years old and Molly says,

 

"We honestly wouldn’t be where we are today without Ability WA".

 

 

Because there is no cookie-cutter formula for a child like Ella. Nothing off the shelf. Nothing standard. Everything her therapy team creates is unique to her because it has to be.

Ella has been supported by her current therapy team, Jacinta, Rachel and Evelyn for over four years. They know just how to challenge Ella in a way that makes her feel proud, not frustrated.

They see when she’s ready to try something new, because they truly know her. They pick up on the glimmerings. The changes. The little wins. And they act on them. 

And that’s when the breakthroughs happen. The real magic.

Like tasting a real strawberry for the very first time.

Because of Ella’s permanent tracheostomy, she is fed through a PEG tube into her tummy. On paper, she could never experience the simple pleasure of tasting food because of her high risk of aspiration.

But Evelyn, Ella’s speech pathologist, knows her so well. She was able to create a safe plan and experiment with a custom mealtime kit to find a way.

Because how do you explain what a strawberry tastes like? You can’t.

Some things you have to experience to understand.

Molly says "Watching Ella’s face light up in that moment — tasting life — is where the magic lives".

And that’s what generous donations make possible.

This type of complex support isn’t well funded through the NDIS - but wouldn’t you agree these are the experiences that make life worth living?

Because moments like these don’t come on a checklist. They happen because of donations from generous people like you who gave Evelyn the time, tools and trust to try.

And it only happens because of generous people. People like you who help deliver the kind of care that meets every child where they are and supports them to grow into who they’re meant to be and realise their abilities.