Disney World Dreams For Our Amazing Shaye

Hi, I’m Vanessa and I’m fundraising for our miracle daughter Shaye to have her once in a lifetime, dream come true of Performing/Singing at Disney World, Orlando Florida.

I would like to share our daughter Shaye’s journey.

I have a condition called Achondroplasia (a form of Dwarfism) and Hyperphosphatemic Rickets, which affects our skeletal system and bones. My husband is average size and our 3 beautiful children all have Achondroplasia like myself, along with numerous other conditions/disabilities. Shaye is our youngest child (16). Shaye has Achondroplasia, Hyperphosphatemic Rickets, Craniosinostosis, deaf (wears hearing aids in both ears), legally blind in her left eye and also has autism.

At 20 months old Shaye had to have major surgery on her skull as her brain was running out of room to grow because the bones in her skull were fusing together before they were meant to due to her Craniosinostosis. This meant reconstruction of her skull at 20 months of age at Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney (we are located in Newcastle). The Doctors had to remove bone from her skull, insert wires in her head and bring her forehead forward. The Doctors told my husband and I that they only had millimetres to work with during the surgery and there was a chance we may not bring our 20 month old baby home. This was shattering news, as any parent could imagine. Thankfully Shaye survived the surgery and recovered but still with all the above medical conditions previously mentioned. Shaye never walked until she was 4 years old and was very delayed reaching her milestones. As a toddler Shaye attended Early Intervention (Preschool for Special needs Children) and she also attended day care. We were told that Shaye would only ever be in a School for Disabled Children due to all her conditions and disabilities. My husband and I decided against this as we wanted to give Shaye every opportunity to thrive, learn from her peers and grow in a mainstream environment. So we enrolled Shaye in our local Public School, that had a Support Unit in the Mainstream School. Shaye attended the Support Unit at the School and progressed amazingly. So well in fact that after finishing Year 3 she was transferred to a regular mainstream class (with teachers aid support) within our local School. Shaye went on to attend our local Mainstream High School and was voted Vice Captain for Year 10 in 2022. Shaye is now in Year 11.

Shaye has always loved to sing, perform & dance, despite being deaf and all her other conditions. She never lets anything hold her back and wants to try anything and everything. Two weeks ago Shaye auditioned in Sydney with ‘NEXT Star Production Showcase’ (Talent Scout Agency from America) and was one of an elite 30 candidates, selected by international Agents to perform, sing, act at Disney World, Orlando Florida for the 2023 Summer Nationals Showcase for NEXT Star Productions in August this year, where 30 international talent agents will be judging and choosing candidates that may be signed for commercials, to sing, get a part in a movie etc. My Family and I are still in shock that Shaye was selected and we have no other words to describe how we feel and how proud we are of Shaye, especially with the challenges Shaye has faced and overcome and will continue to face in her life. So we have set up this Go Fund Me page to help cover the costs of getting Shaye to Disney World, Orlando Florida for this once in a lifetime, dream come true, experience. We totally understand and appreciate the fact that the cost of living pressures are affecting everyone, but we would be most thankful and appreciative of any donation anyone would kindly like to donate to help cover the cost of flights, air port transfers and accommodation to get our amazing Shaye to Florida. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Shaye’s story and thank you for any donation you may be able to give. THANK YOU!