By Kara Irving
Casandra enjoyed a well-deserved holiday to the Gold Coast courtesy of the Make-a-Wish foundation. 41936
YOUNG Shayanne has always dreamed of patting a dolphin at Seaworld on the Gold Coast – and last month her wish came true.
Unlike many children her age, Shayanne suffers from cerebral palsy; a permanent physical illness which affects muscle movement. The seven-year-old girl is also profoundly deaf and has impaired vision.
The Narre Warren family were shocked to learn that one of their twins suffered cerebral haemorrhaging at birth, which has led Shayanne to be under constant supervision from her parents, twin sister Ellendah and sister Shanice.
After her mother Cassandra Shoenmaker made an application to the Make-a-Wish foundation to ensure Shayanne’s dolphin dream came true, volunteers from the Casey-Cardinia branch of the organisation presented Shayanne with one week family holiday to the Surfers Paradise. With complimentary entry into Movieworld and Dreamworld, flights, accommodation and more than two thousand dollars spending money, Shayanne was finally able to live her dream of meeting and later swimming with a dolphin at Seaworld.
“They organised a private patting of the dolphin in a private lagoon. It was wonderful”, said Ms Schoenmaker.
Ms Schoenmaker also told the Berwick News that she was grateful for the experiences her daughter and family had thanks to the Casey- Cardinia Make-a -Wish foundation and said she was more than willing to help provide families with sick children with the charity in the near future.
“In the future, I’m hoping to become a volunteer for the Make-a-Wish foundation,” said Ms Schoenmaker.
“The whole reason why I want to do this is to raise awareness of the illness.”
