Huda’s family received a Variety Mobility Equipment Grant in 2025. Here, her Mum Ayesha shares what the grant has meant to their family.
Huda is our beautiful 2-year-old daughter. She is always smiling, a ray of sunshine in our lives. From the very beginning we knew her journey would be different. When the midwife first held her, she noticed that Huda felt “too floppy.” That was the start of countless hospital visits, tests, and appointments.
For the first 10 months of her life, we lived with so many questions and without a diagnosis. In our search for answers, we uprooted our lives and moved from New Zealand to Sydney. It meant leaving behind our families and our support system, but we knew we had to do everything possible for Huda.
In Sydney, after many long months, we finally met with the genetics team at the hospital. That was the day we discovered that Huda has two rare gene defects, the cause of her health challenges and disabilities. By then, Huda had missed all her milestones, and our lives had become a balance between therapies, specialist visits, and the daily care she requires. With only my husband working and me looking after Huda full-time, the financial pressure of starting from scratch in a new country was heavy.
What weighed on us most was not being able to afford the therapies and specialist equipment Huda truly needed. One of those was a special sitting stroller. When we first saw the exorbitant price, our hearts sank – it felt far beyond our reach. Yet, it was something Huda desperately needed to sit safely and comfortably, and for us to be able to take her to therapies, appointments, or even just a simple trip to the park.
Then, like a blessing, we learned about Variety and the grants available for children like Huda. Applying felt like clinging to a dream but somehow, that dream actually came true!
Our Variety Therapy Grant has been such an amazing help, making sure we can access all the therapies Huda needs. Without this support, it would be incredibly difficult for us to afford them on our own. Without access to the NDIS, the grant has truly filled a gap that would have otherwise left Huda without essential care.
Our Variety Mobility Equipment Grant means that today, Huda has her very own sitting stroller. Watching her sit in it, supported and comfortable, is an indescribable joy for us as parents. It has transformed not only her life but ours as a family. We can now move around freely, attend appointments without struggle, and enjoy simple family outings that once felt impossible.
We will forever carry gratitude in our hearts for Variety and its incredibly generous supporters who made this possible. Your kindness and support have lifted a weight from our shoulders and given our daughter dignity, comfort, and joy. You may not know us personally, but your generosity has touched our lives in the deepest way. Every time we see Huda’s bright smile in her stroller, we are reminded that there are people out there who truly care, who help families like ours feel less alone on this journey.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.