A FOUR-year-old girl whose little brother has autism and is non-verbal is carrying out a sponsored silence to raise cash to help a Southend charity open its new home.
Nathan Woods, two, is partially sighted as well as being non-verbal and having autism but his family have received vital help from support group Little Heroes.
Little Heroes, based in London Road, is hoping to move into a new hub at the Garons Community Centre, in Garon Park, to continue is working helping families of children who are diagnosed with or going through a diagnosis of autism.
However, the charity needs to raise £30,000 to overhaul the space and Nathan’s sister, Ciara, is hoping to help by taking on a sponsored silence at the end of the month.
Little Heroes has already raised £20,000 of its target and within 24 hours of launching a fundraiser, Ciara has raised £830.
Mum, Sinead, says Little Heroes has been their “saving grace”.
Sinead, 36, of Northfields Crescent, Great Wakering, said: “Without them, I don’t think I’d be sane, to be honest.
“Nathan and I go as often as we can, about once a week. They’ve helped me, told me who to speak to, and given me advice when I’ve been let down by other services.
“They’ve just moved to a bigger place and need to renovate the whole thing.
“I’ve never done anything for charity, but I feel so passionate about this that we really want to say ‘thank you’.”Sinead says her “lovely” daughter knows “exactly what to do” when Nathan experiences a meltdown.
She added: “Ciara is such a lovely little girl. She desperately wants that brother and sister bond that other siblings have.
“She’s amazing at supporting kids at school with additional needs. It’s like a superpower.
“It absolutely melts my heart.”
Ciara plans to hold a sponsored silent walk along Great Wakering High Street at the end of the month, wearing a sandwich board and covering her mouth with tape.
The challenge will see her trying to communicate with business owners without speaking, to highlight the difficulties her brother faces.
Ciara said: “I want to help because Nathan can’t talk. It makes me sad. I really want to be a good big sister to him.”
View the GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ciaras-sponsored-silence
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel