Redland teen Siobhan Wilson up for $20k grant for disability charity

A 14-year-old Redland girl who launched her own disability support charity is hoping a $20k grant could help her raise money for disability health research for children. She says she doesn’t want others to feel as alone as she did growing up.

A 14-year-old Redland girl who launched her own disability support charity is hoping a $20,000 grant could help her raise money for disability health research for children.

Siobhan Wilson set up her own charitable organisation at the age of six to support children with disabilities and raise money for health research because she did not want others to feel alone like she did when growing up.

Siobhan was born 27 weeks early, resulting in a long list of medical complications.

At just one-month-old she had her first open heart surgery.

Years of struggles with her swallowing and breathing followed that.

Her other medical conditions included; various food allergies, anaphylaxis, anxiety, eczema, asthma, sensory processing disorder, non-verbal learning disorder, bowel bladder dysfunction.

‘It’s very scary when you think you’re going to die,” Siobhan said.

“I had a lot of medical trauma and I thought I was the only one going through it.

“It wasn’t until I was six years old that I learnt I wasn’t the only kid in the world with this.

“But for a long time I felt really isolated.”

Starting primary school proved very tough.

“At school I was often excluded,” she said.

“Kids didn’t want to hold my hands because of my eczema. I was excluded from parties and games too.

“I remember walking into a classroom and being the only one without an invite to a birthday party one time.

“I also have a bladder condition and have to wear nappies so I used to be bullied and have them say ‘only babies wear nappies’ to me. But I couldn’t help it.”

The disability charity founder, who is now homeschooled and safely away from her bullies, said although it was tough she did not blame the other children.

Siobhan Wilson, an inspiring 14-year-old girl from the Redlands, set up her own charity. Picture – contributed.

“There is a lot of lack of awareness and misunderstanding around disabilities and medical issues for children,” she said.

“They didn’t mean to be mean...they just didn’t understand.

“So that’s what I’m trying to do with my charity. I am trying to help others understand.

“My aim is to help as many children as possible whether they have a disability, a medical condition or have been through trauma.”

Siobhan has made a difference in thousands of children’s lives with Our Pixie Friends, a charitable organisation she established to help children feel supported in their struggles and raise money for medical research.

Our Pixie Friends has four ways of helping, including:

- Picture books about coping with life’s challenges and including those who feel isolated;

- Website with resources for children, parents and teachers and where children can upload their stories and artworks;

- Merchandise, such as positive affirmation door hangers and handmade sensory fidgets, which donates 10% of sales to medical research, totalling $1,500 in donations to childhood brain cancer last year alone;

- Siobhan’s author talks, workshops and presentations on overcoming adversity and being happy with who you are.

The characters across her books and talks, who help other children feel less alone and understand disabilities and trauma are: Sakaela the sneezey pixie, Paizo the peanut allergy pixie, Minksy the meltdown pixie, and Zizzy the wheezy pixie.

She has also given over 350 Cozy Pal trauma packs to children who have experienced trauma including homeless children, DV victims and children in hospital.

Siobhan donated more than 200 of her trauma packs to Russell Island State School and gave a talk on understanding trauma after the students lost many of their friends recently.

Through her work she has been recognised as a finalist for this years Westfield Local Heroes program.

She’s up for a $20,000 grant to towards her charity.