Emma’s family are holding her extra tight at this time of year. Sadly, every Christmas could be their last one together.

, please will you make a Christmas gift today, to help us provide very special families like Emma’s with wrap-around support—when they need it the most?

Emma shows the world nothing but love—despite everything that has been thrown at her. And she has been through a lot, as her mum Ashley explains:

“Emma was born with a long list of conditions. We were told she wouldn’t make it to five. Nine years later, she’s still here. But she’s on borrowed time.”

Caring for Emma around the clock, turning her every two hours throughout the night—it can be exhausting.

Then there’s the health scares, the rushes to hospital, the uncertainty about the future. As you can imagine, all this takes a very heavy emotional toll.

But thanks to kind-hearted people like you, Very Special Kids has been providing Emma and her whole family with wrap-around support:

💙 Respite care—letting the family take a much-needed break, while Emma comes to stay at our children’s hospice.

💜 Road to Respite—transporting Emma from regional Victoria to the hospice in our very special van, saving her family from travel costs.

🧡 Sibling Days—giving her brother the chance to have fun and meet other kids who know what it’s like to have a ‘very special sibling’.

💚 Family Support Practitioner—providing tailored counselling and therapeutic support, whenever it’s needed.

“When Very Special Kids first came into our lives, it was overwhelming—in the best way. We just weren’t used to having so much support.

Very Special Kids are our go-to. Our safe space. Even in our darkest hours, when everything just seems so dire, they’re there for us in so many ways. We’re just so grateful.”

There are many more families counting on our help, in time for Christmas. That’s why we’re urgently looking to grow our vital services.

Please, help surround families like Emma’s with comfort and support, so they don’t have to face this difficult time of year alone.