Wearside toddler Hannah McDonald was chosen as the first individual beneficiary of Hope 4 Kidz and in 2007 was gifted with a fibre optic lily pad to help improve her quality of life.
Hannah is one of only 65 children in the world to suffer with Chromosome Deletion Syndrome, relating to chromosome number 22, which means she suffers from a variety of developmental defects in several of the body’s major organs, as well as developmental delays and learning disabilities.
By the time she was two years old Hannah had already undergone five major operations, including two for open heart surgery tackling the congenital heart disease she suffers as a direct result of the chromosome deletion.
The fire-optic lily pad, which costs hundreds of pounds, is specifically designed to stimulate Hannah’s sense with the aid of fibre-optic lights and has had a marked and positive impact on improving her social interaction and body movement.
For more about Chromosome Deletion and Hannah’s story check out our links page.