The little girl in the photograph is Marla and I am her mummy.
Marla is smart, funny and totally amazing, but by age 6 she was struggling to cope at school, losing her confidence and her smile.
In her own words, she "hated school" and started to fake daily illnesses in a bid to avoid going. She would feel sick every morning during the short drive to school and cling to me crying each day at the gates. By age 7 the panic attacks started and life become even tougher for Marla.
Eventually Marla was diagnosed with Dyslexia.
A short time later we were introduced to The Unicorn School for dyslexic children ... and now Marla skips into school with a smile on her face every single day.
Marla and her friends loving school!
The Unicorn School is a Specialist School supporting children with dyslexia and related learning difficulties. They are raising funds to build a 'mental health hub' - a bright and cheerful place where the Children can go to get professional support and advice from in-house Psychologists and Therapists. Alongside this will be a new and much needed sports area.
The Unicorn Pupils are intelligent children who have been allowed to feel like failures in school, unsure why they can't read or write as well as their peers. Many were frequently removed from lessons to be taught on their own and left feeling "stupid" and exhausted from the effort of trying to keep up with traditional teaching methods. The Unicorn School rebuilds their confidence and gives them a different way to learn, but they need your help.
I learnt first hand how a Specific Learning Difficulty can affect a child, but I have also witnessed how a nurturing school that truly understands the challenges they face can reignite their love of learning and bring back the smiles to their faces.
Can you help us raise £25,000 to redesign The Unicorn School's outside space, to give these Children a much needed sports area and most importantly, a safe space to talk about the challenges they have overcome and the concerns they still live with.
The Unicorn School for the Dyslexic Child is a registered Charity (No. 1070807)
The Unicorn School's Current Play Area