Smile in the face of adversity: The inspiring Toowoomba girl changing lives for the better
A Toowoomba dad is on a humble mission to raise money to make his home accessible for his daughter living with cerebral palsy because she’s getting too big to carry up and down their stairs every day.
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A regional Queensland dad is on a quiet mission to raise money to make his high-set home accessible for his daughter living with cerebral palsy because she’s getting too big to carry up and down their stairs every day.
In late November, Toowoomba tradesman Joel Anderson organised a number of friends and family to take pairs of scissors to his beloved dreadlocks raising about $1500 for the cause at the Blue Mountain Hotel.
The married couple’s, Joe and Shannon Anderson, lives changed forever when they met by chance in Toowoomba at Fitzy’s about 15-year-ago when Mr Anderson was visiting the region for work, and changed again for the better about a decade ago when their bubbly, strong, funny, and food obsessed daughter, Charlise, was born.
Mr Anderson said the family had access to NDIS funding, however they were apprehensive to review their case because of the current cuts occurring within the scheme as they can’t afford to lose the funding allocated for Charlie’s equipment and physical therapy.
“The NDIS has been great - we can’t fault them” he said.
Mr Anderson said despite being born less able than other children, Charlie has not once let cerebral palsy hold her back, that it in fact was quite the opposite, leaving him in awe of his little legend every day.
“I don’t think anyone has ever inspired me in my life as much as my little girl,” he said.
“Just to see her stand-up to adversity every day with a smile on her face. She’s the happiest kid ever and so uplifting.
“Everyone who’s come into contact with Charlie has gone away with a different sort of light on life.
“You only need to meet her once.”
When Charlie was about four-years-old the confident and smiley toddler captured the hearts of Vietnam locals.
“She was an absolute rick start over there,” Joel said.
“Everyone wanted to hold her and she just embraced everyone it doesn’tt matter who you are or what you’re like.
“She just got right amongst it and ate everything… she can handle spice better than me.”
He said the biggest thing he got out of Charlie was watching her fight for and reach every milestone.
“Charlie has worked hard for everything she does and you can see it’s a struggle but she does it with a smile on her face,” he said.
“I can still remember after three years when her hand-eye coordination was there and she learnt how to pick a piece of fruit up and eat it herself.
“That was huge moment for us, and the first moment she stood up in her AFOs - (ankle foot orthosis shoes).
“She was so pleased with herself.”
Mr Anderson said often he and his wife were often praised for looking after Charlie which was a jarring feeling.
“When I tell people I have a daughter and she has cerebral palsy, I don’t like it when they say ‘sorry’,” he said.
“It’s like, ‘mate you don’t understand how much she’s given to us’.
“There’s just nothing to be sorry about she’s amazing.
“If anything, she gives us more than what an abled bodied child would give, like those little milestones that mean so much.
“It’s a humbling feeling to bring up Charlie.
“When I go to work and think f-ck I don’t want to be here but then I think about her and think I’ve got it pretty easy.
“She’s taught me a lot about life and how to be more positive about our own situation and life in general.”
Friends, family, workmates, and a bunch of unfamiliar faces put their support behind the good cause on at the Blue Mountain Hotel fundraiser at the end of November when the tradesman cut off his dreadlocks.
“It was a great turnout… and a really good afternoon,” Mr Anderson said.
He said despite “feeling a little naked to tell you the truth,” without his long matted locks, it was nice to feel a pillow under his head for the first time in years.
“I can’t remember the last time I actually felt my pillow, so that was a different sensation,” he said.
“It was very comfy.”
He said after the big chop a highly amused Charlie couldn’t keep her hands off his head.
“And Charlie thinks it’s quite funny actually which is good because I thought she would be put off by it because she’s never seen me without them.”
He said despite the never-ending jest of people finding red-back spiders nesting in dreadlocks, all he found was a lot of concrete dust.
The fundraiser raised about $1500 and at the time of publication their GoFundMe called “Help Charlie access our family home,’ raised $$6,585.
Mr Anderson said he was given a rough quote for the lift, $40,000, which was still being designed by an engineer.
Despite the idea of a fundraiser making him incredibly unconfutable, Mr Anderson said his family gave him a friendly push to put their story out there for Charlie.
“It’s a tough one to negotiate, being a prideful person in what I do, so I’m not really a fan (of the process),” he said.
“It’s a strange feeling really. I’ve never been in the situation where I’ve had to ask for help so to speak.”
He said he struggled to find the words to thank everyone who’s put their support behind their humble and worthy cause thus far.
“It just means so much to us,” he said.
“There’s been so many people that have donated that I don’t even know and I don’t how to thank them,”
“I struggle to find a reason for people’s generosity sometimes, it’s just an amazing community really.
“And there’s been messages that people have written to me – I’m just speechless really.”
No matter how big or small, if you would like to donate to help Charlie get access to her home, click here.
Photos taken at the Blue Mountain Hotel fundraiser on Saturday, November:
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