An Antrim woman marked her 21st birthday in style by taking part in a skydive to raise funds for a young girl with complex medical needs.
Violet Breet was born via emergency C-Section in November 2020 at just 30 weeks as a result of a placental abduction.
Her birth was both rushed and terrifying and so traumatic that both Violet and her mum Helen almost didn’t make it.
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Helen had two and a half litres of blood in her abdomen from a rupture, leaving the baby starved of oxygen.
Violet suffered severe brain damage on both sides of her central lobe due to her traumatic birth and has cerebral palsy in all four limbs and epilepsy.
She is also non-verbal and visually impaired with a condition called cerebral vision impairment (CVI).
Doctors have said Violet will have to use a wheelchair permanently, so her parents, Helen and Connor, are hoping to introduce her to new therapies in order to help her gain some independence with the help of standing and walking frames.
The family also hope to get targeted treatment for Violet in Wales, which could help with her core strength and stability, and training in Lanzarote to help ease the pressure on her muscles along with additional therapy that is crucial for her development.
A fundraising campaign has been launched to help Violet live life to the fullest and last weekend, big-hearted family friend Rachel Douglas, smashed the £500 target, which now stands at over £,2000.
Rachel marked her 21st birthday by taking part in a skydive at Skydive Ireland in Garvagh last Friday.
Her aim was to be able to raise crucial funds for Violet, and her parents, to ensure she is able to have access to all the important and necessary equipment, help, support, and any other beneficial things she may need as she grows up.
Rachel explained: “Violet is now two and is known as one of happiest and funniest children about, with her always developing personality shining through!
“Violet struggles with her mobility, and doctors have said she could be permanently wheelchair bound. It is also likely Violet will be non-verbal for the rest of her life.
“Any funds raised will go towards getting Violet her additional physio therapy that she can’t get on the NHS.
“Currently, Violet only gets approximately 20 hours a year on the NHS, but travelling to mainland UK and abroad will enable her to get almost the same amount of additional treatment within one week that she gets in a full year through the NHS.
“As much as Violet’s family cannot fault the NHS and have no complaints to make about her medical team, getting her this extra physiotherapy will help Violet reach her full potential as much as possible - which hopefully means being able to enjoy some independence and not having to rely on wheelchairs and other equipment 24/7.
“It was definitely the best thing I’ve ever done. Thank you so much to everyone for all the support and to those who donated money.”
You can still donate to Rachel's fundraiser here and follow Violet’s journey at @lifeofmissvwithcp on Facebook and Instagram.
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