When a young person arrives at Willow Brae, we see more than a list of needs. We see personality, hopes, humour and the quiet dreams that matter most.
One of our young people joined us in her early teens, having already lived through significant trauma and instability. Alongside everything she was carrying emotionally, she also faced a very real physical challenge. A long-term condition had left her hamstrings extremely tight and her leg muscles underdeveloped, which meant she could not support herself to walk independently.
Before moving to Willow Brae, she had undergone surgery intended to improve her mobility. Sadly, the aftercare did not go as planned and instead of moving forward, she was left struggling even more.
From the moment we met her, one thing was clear. She had a dream that had stayed with her for as long as she could remember. She wanted to walk.
A Goal That Meant Everything
Not long after arriving, she shared a goal that mattered deeply to her. She wanted to go to school without using her wheelchair.
At the time, walking was not yet possible, but she asked for something very specific: she wanted to stand for a photo in her school uniform. It was not about pretending things were
easy. It was about creating a moment she could look back on, something that said, “This is where I’m heading.”
That smile said everything. It moved the people around her and it became a turning point. Not because it changed things overnight, but because it gave all of us a shared focus. A goal we could hold with her, especially on the harder days.
Putting The Right Support In Place
Progress like this never happens because of one person, one appointment or one piece of equipment. It happens when people work together, consistently, over time.
We began building the right plan around her, bringing together a dedicated multi-disciplinary team and making sure she had the specialist support she needed. That included:
- sourcing specialist walking and support equipment
- strengthening links with surgeons and clinical teams
- co-ordinating education, care and therapy so everyone was working towards the same goal
- keeping her voice and dream at the centre of every decision
As the clinical conversations developed, we were advised that surgery at her age would be more complex than it might have been earlier in childhood. Her bones were more mature and the procedure and aftercare would require careful planning.
Even with those realities, her determination did not shift. Neither did her family’s belief in her. When the time came, she chose to go ahead.
Months Of Planning, One Brave Day
In the lead-up to surgery, an extensive professional team worked together for months to plan not only the operation itself, but the intensive aftercare that would follow. Every detail mattered, from equipment and routines, to comfort, mobility plans, school arrangements and emotional support.
By the day of the operation, she was in her mid-teens. It was a huge moment. For her, for her family and for everyone supporting her day to day. It was nerve-racking, hopeful and deeply emotional all at once.
What stood out most was her calmness. She faced the day with courage and a kind of steady strength that made it impossible not to believe in her.
We See you. We’re With You. This Matters
Recovery is rarely a straight line, and it is often the “middle part” that takes the most grit.
After surgery, she spent months in casts, followed by many more months in leg braces. It was uncomfortable, tiring and at times painful. There were limitations on daily life, on school attendance and on the simple freedoms many people take for granted. And still, she kept going.
Her motivation became something people rallied around. When she could not be in school, her classmates video-called to remind her she was missed. Hospital staff made space for encouragement and joy, including one unforgettable moment: her first supported stand, with her favourite Henry Hoover wheeled in as part of the cheer squad. It sounds small, but it was not small to her. It was a way of saying.
Today, she has a growing Henry Hoover collection, each one connected to a stage of her journey. It is a simple thing, but it holds a lot of meaning. It marks time, progress and resilience, especially when the days have felt long.
Progress That Keeps Building
We have been supporting her with physiotherapy for almost a year. Before surgery, some professionals felt the best possible outcome might be standing, transferring and moving safely from seat to seat. Even that would have been life changing.
Within months, she exceeded expectations.
Her strength began to build, her confidence grew and her independence started to expand in real, visible ways. One milestone that meant the world to her came over the Christmas period, when she managed her first step up the stairs.
Seeing the world from an upright position has been transformative. Not just physically, but emotionally. It has given her a new kind of pride and a fresh sense of what might be possible.
New Dreams, New Futures
As her strength has built, so has her confidence in what might be possible. She now talks about having a bedroom upstairs one day and about putting her wheelchair away. She’s starting to imagine everyday life differently, with more independence and choice. Over Christmas, she drew a picture of herself standing in her bedroom. It was a simple drawing, but it said so much.
It showed that standing is no longer just something she is working towards. It is something she truly believes she can achieve.
The Bigger Picture
At Amegreen, we know progress can take time, patience and the right people around a young person. This journey is not only about walking. It is about confidence, independence and the power of steady, consistent support.
We are so proud of how far she has come, and grateful to everyone who has supported her along the way, from her family to the professionals around her.
It has been an absolute privilege to be beside her on this journey, and we cannot wait to see what she achieves next.
