Lily is a lively and cheeky 6-year-old songbird who lives with congenital retinal dystrophy.
Lily discovered her passion for music at a young age, and in April 2023, we had the joy of taking her and her mum, Gemma, to the Variety Braille Music Camp in Brisbane.
Over four days, Lily took part in a range of workshops—from singing and songwriting to braille music, instrumental sessions, and even beatboxing. As the youngest of the 35 participants, she quickly found her voice. Her confidence blossomed, and singing soon became her “thing.”
She hasn’t stopped singing since!
“I strongly believe that without Variety, Lily would never have found her passion for singing or the opportunities to perform and progress. The whole team at Variety believed in her and continue to believe in her.” – Lily’s Mum, Gemma
In August 2023, Lily sang her favorite song “A Million Dreams” in front of nearly 350 guests and to a standing ovation at the Variety of Chefs gala ball. Special mention to our friends at the Royal Australian Navy Band, in particular CPO Martyn Hancock CSM and Able Seaman Nikayla Taskinen-Smith who took Lily under their wing to guide and support her along the way.
Lily then went on to sing “Silent Night” to sing solo at the Variety Carols by Candlelight in front of 1400 people.
Lily attended the Braille Music Camp in 2024 and performed in front of over 3000 people at 2024 Variety of Carols!
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Variety has positively impacted more than two million children and their families – supporting children by providing funding for mobility equipment, therapy, medical services, educational resources, and more.