Royal Visitors for Heidi
The Children with Special Needs Foundation, donated £10,000 towards the cost of a through-floor wheelchair lift and a special contoured bath with powered seat.
The royal couple, who live nearby in Bagshot, were invited to the formal opening in September and Heidi proudly showed the extension and demonstrated the special facilities to the Earl and Countess , together with charity patrons Gary Lineker, Gerry Francis, Tom O'Connor and some of the sponsors and charity committee members. The Earl and Countess expressed the wish to meet the family, and after the formal opening spent some time in private with Heidi, her 10 year old sister Michelle and their parents.
Heidi's father George said. "We were all very delighted and honoured that they came and gave their support to the charity and its work. Heidi was so excited and still talks about it whenever she can ! The event was reported in the local papers and 'Hello' magazine, there were telephone interviews by two local radio stations and it was featured by Meridian Television in their local news programme . It was a very special occasion and we were grateful for the opportunity to show how the money had been spent and what a difference it has made to a family like ours . We were most impressed by the energy and effort Gordon and Ann and their committee put into organising this very special day.
"They took the opportunity to also involve children from Carwarden House School, who made a perfect line-up to greet the royal couple. One other little boy, lain MacLean, who suffers from leukaemia, had a very special treat on the day. He was given a ride in a Ferrari by Tony Willis of Maranello's of Egham to our house to meet the royal couple and his idol, Gary Lineker. He is due to go on a dream holiday to Disney World, Orlando with Dreamflight who also gave him some spending money for the trip.
"Heidi was born 3 months premature, weighing only two pounds and spent the first three months of her life in hospital. Cerebal palsy affects people in different ways, leading to varying degrees of disability. In Heidi's case it affects mainly her legs and her left arm and she is unable to sit without some support. Despite this she copes very well and attends a mainstream school , Winston Churchill in Woking, where she is supported by non-teaching assistants in the classroom. Last year she was top of her class in English and this year top in French.
"We delayed the building project for as long as possible to get a clear picture of what Heidi's special needs would be and are very pleased with the end result. She now has a new bedroom, with direct access via the lift from the hall. a large en-suite bathroom with special bath and powered seat, a level access shower and a combined toilet and bidet. Downstairs there is a disabled cloakroom and floors are smooth and level, rather than carpeted, to give easier running of her electric wheelchair. Outside the paths are block-paved with gentle slopes and there are low-threshold doors so that Heidi has access all round the outside as well as inside.
"She is delighted to be able to get around the whole house and much of the garden without help which, in
turn, has taken some of the pressure off the rest of the family, particularly with getting her up and down stairs and in and out of the bath. We have also redesigned the garden with Heidi's needs in mind; for instance there will be a raised pond beside the patio so that she can get close safely to feed the fish.
"It was wonderful to receive such a magnificent donation towards the special equipment but to have the official opening graced by the Earl and Countess and other celebrities was gilt on the gingerbread!"
