Elliott's Wish
Elliott may seem like any other girl her age. She loves animals and simply adores her two pet dogs. In her free time, she likes to ballroom dance.
But Elliott is not like every other 11-year-old. She’s endured so much more than any child her age should.
Elliott’s health journey has been a lifelong one. She was only five weeks old when her mum Rebekah and dad Fraser took her to the paediatrician.
“On that same day, the paediatrician said, ‘You need to sit down. She’s got biliary atresia – a life-threatening disease, and we’re going to airlift you to hospital right now.’ She had surgery a couple of days later. That’s when it really all started,” says Rebekah.
Rebekah says Elliott’s condition has meant she’s missed out on making memories. “Because she’s immune supressed, she would pick up a lot of bugs. We had lots of times when she couldn’t go to school. So, she’s missed out on some big events.”
Elliott had a liver transplant when she was only eight months old. Something that happened so long ago will affect Elliott for the rest of her life. She feels sad, as she can’t play some sports or games with her friends. In her words:
“My friends will say, ‘Oh, Elliott, sign up for rugby. And I have to say, ‘I’m actually not allowed to play rugby, or tug of war, or anything like that.’”
Elliott’s wish is about a journey she took with her grandmother. A journey where she and her grandmother, who she spent a lot of time with, dreamed of a campervan trip across the North Island. Elliott’s grandmother wanted Elliott to make plenty of precious memories during her wish.
They were supposed to make those memories together, but devastatingly, Elliott’s grandmother passed away earlier this year.
Elliott’s wish still remains the same as the one she dreamed up with her grandmother – to go on a campervan road trip around the North Island. This wish will mean Elliott can make so many memories, replacing ones she missed out on because of her critical illness.
Elliott hasn’t spent much time on the North Island, aside from lengthy stays in Starship. This wish will give her a chance to replace those scary North Island memories with sparkly, fun ones.
