Meet Anna
Meet Anna
A little dreamer with a BIG personality!
Letter from A Parent:
When Anna was born, things were challenging: she was a horrible eater, didn't gain weight, and wasn't developing or hitting milestones like she should have been. She cried and cried - and it would be months before we figured out why.
At 7 months, we started a journey I NEVER thought we would go down. All of a sudden we had doctors appointments, tests, blood work, and biopsies. It was scary, and it happened so fast. Eventually we received the diagnosis - a rare condition called Mitochondrial Disease, specifically Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Deficiency. That means Anna will struggle with seizures, developmental delay, and hypotonia (low muscle mass) throughout her life. It's a very rare disease, especially in children, and we just don't know what the future looks like for Anna.
“She has a big presence and makes everyone smile and laugh with her spitfire personality and lovable laugh. ”
Once we learned about the condition and were able to make some adjustments - she became a completely different kid! She was happy and smiling, and she flourished. That first year after the diagnosis we were in the hospital learning how to navigate our new reality.
Since then, Anna has become one of the most amazing kids I know. She is so strong.
Anna is very special for so many reasons - most importantly her HUGE personality. She is a little one who is a mix of all the best things in this world: easy going, happy, loving. In school, she's the Queen Bee! Everyone comes looking for her, especially when they are having a bad day as Anna's calm nature lifts their spirits. She has a big presence and makes everyone smile and laugh with her spitfire personality and lovable laugh. She's an infectious little nugget that brings joy to everyone she meets.
She adores her siblings, and has them wrapped around her precious little finger! Some of her favourite things include her special bike, and her Minnie and Mickey "Squish'Ems" (a word she invented - and one of the only things she says consistently). If you start singing the Bumblebee Song she will start dancing almost immediately. She is constantly dancing, laughing, and enjoying all the life is for he!
For her family, friends, teachers, doctors, and nurses - our world is a better place because of Anna. She's a shining star and makes sure to shine for everyone who needs her.
It's hard to understand how special Anna is without meeting her. We know that she's our Anna, and we are lucky to be people she chose to let love her. We will forever do that with all of our hearts.
Anna’s Dream is to take a Disney Cruise! Anna doesn’t always have a lot of energy and needs to take a rest regularly. The pace of a cruise is right up her alley, and all the magic of Disney is in one place! Anna will have access to her cabin when she needs to recharge, and her family will always be close by. While that might not happen soon, we are already excited thinking about how much Anna will love it and how happy she will be to visit such a magical place. Thank you so much for helping to bring her dream to life!