Christmas 2023 I had the chance to meet Theo, an inspiring little boy who became a bigger part of my life than I could've imagined that first day! Our first meeting was at a party, where I learned that Theo is blind, so while his (wonderful) mum and dad were helping Santa with presents etc I sat chatting to Theo describing what was going on, making him giggle as much as I could. His laugh is just precious and melted my heart right away! As always the end of a party is pretty hectic so we only had a quick goodbye before heading off.

 

The next day I was visiting the kids hospital, going round the wards to meet everyone when I was requested to go back to a room I hadn't visited because "the parent heard my voice in the halls", with a lot of curiosity I headed back unsure who to expect. I was delighted to see Theo and his mum sitting there, she took the time to tell me how special the previous day was not just for myself but for them as well, seeing Theo laughing and spending time with me turned out to mean as much to them as it did myself! That day proved it wasn't a one off as Theo was full of laughs and smiles for me again, from there I was visiting the hospital roughly monthly and always made sure to stop in at Theo's room for a chat! We learned pretty quickly he not only recognised my voice but enjoyed hearing me chat away to him (even when I'm talking nonsense).

 

Through these visits I got to know Theo, his family and his journey. Theo was born premature then, only weeks old he contracted NEC - which led to complications including brain damage, being blind and more. This little warrior has been through more operations & procedures than most of us can imagine, not only did his family fight in his corner every second, Theo fought against every statistic thrown at him! Anything they say he can't do, he's currently proving he can!

 

Due to his health Theo has spent his life living in hospital, quickly wrapping everyone including myself round his little finger, while spending time chatting to him and his family I quickly found myself being inspired by all three of them! Courage and strength are two words used to describe them often, rightfully so, but I find myself in awe at the way they go into every situation with hope, humor and hardihood.

 

I'm forever grateful for Theo, S & G (mum & dad) with how they've impacted my life and let me be become a small part of theirs! Anything I do now, work or personal, I focus on the small moments of joy. Remembering that one Christmas party, meeting one little warrior changed my life in the best, most surprising way possible.