Gazette

Dream come true

By Kara Irving

3rd February 2010 02:00:06 AM

Sisters Shanice, Ellendah and Shayanne Shoenmaker with their mum Cassandra recently enjoyed a well deserved holiday, cour¬tesy of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 41936 Picture: Kim Cartmell

YOUNG Shayanne Shoenmaker has always dreamed of patting a dolphin at Seaworld on the Gold Coast.

Last month her wish came true.

Unlike many children her age, Shayanne suffers from cerebral palsy - a permanent physical illness that affects muscle movement.

The seven-year-old Narre Warren girl is also profoundly deaf and vision impaired. Her Narre Warren family was shocked to learn Shayanne suffered cerebral haemorrhaging at birth, which led her to be under constant supervision from her parents, twin sister Ellendah and sister Shanice.

After her mother, Cassandra, made an application to the Make-a- Wish Foundation to ensure Shayanne’s dolphin dream came true, volunteers from the Casey-Cardinia branch gave Shayanne and her family a one week family holiday in Surfers Paradise.

With complimentary entry into Movieworld and Dreamworld, flights, accommodation and more than $2000 spending money, Shayanne was finally able to live her dream of meeting and later swimming with a dolphin at Seaworld.

“They organised a private patting of the dolphin in a private lagoon. It was wonderful,” Ms Schoenmaker said.

Ms Schoenmaker said she was grateful for the experiences her daughter and family were provided. “In the future I’m hoping to become a volunteer for the Make-a-Wish Foundation,” she said.“The whole reason why I want to do this is to raise awareness of the illness.”