Teenager Ella Postlethwaite is a proud sponsor of Daisy Chain’s Bearded Dragon called Rocky.
Ella loves all the animals on the Daisy Chain farm but is particularly fond of the reptiles so Rocky was a natural choice for her to adopt.
Mum Kelly says, ‘Ella loves the reptile room. She has her own pet snake at home so she wanted to adopt a different reptile and she loves handling Rocky. On visit days she is always hoping she will be able to get him out and hold him.’
From only £5 a month, you can make a difference and help us to care for our animals in our farm and allow us to continue providing a unique learning opportunity for our children.
Kelly and husband Ian, Ella’s dad, were initially told by Ella’s nursery before she was three years old that they had concerns about some of her behaviours. Kelly explains, ‘Ella would have rages as a toddler but we didn’t have any other children and just put it down to the ‘terrible twos’. Also, she didn’t really have vocabulary so looking back autism all makes sense but at the time we didn’t know anything different.
‘We had assessments with an educational psychologist and other professionals but Ella did not receive a diagnosis. Looking back, I do wish we had got one sooner as Ella started school which she was really not ready for. One of her teachers was the school’s special needs coordinator and she called us in to tell us she thought the behaviours Ella was displaying could be autism.
Eventually Ella received a diagnosis when she was 11 years old. ‘It had to be rushed through before she started secondary school so she could get the extra support she needed and go to a school with a special resource base,’ says Kelly.
‘We came to Daisy Chain when Ella received her diagnosis. We were very worried about her being lonely and wanted her to be in a social group, she loves going to Daisy Chain and she adores the animals so we thought it was a great idea to sponsor one. Visiting and handling Rocky gives her something to look forward to.’
Sponsor an animal with Daisy Chain and you will receive:
- An adoption certificate and welcome pack
- A photo of your chosen animal
- Birthday and Christmas cards from your new friend
- 2 opportunities to visit your animal throughout the year
- Your name displayed on our designated sponsor board in the barn
- An e-newsletter to keep you updated with the goings on at the farm
How your sponsorship helps
At Daisy Chain, we believe animals are a great tool to encourage interaction and stimulation for children affected by autism, many of whom struggle to develop relationships, even with members of their own families.
We desperately need to increase our funding to meet the all year round demands on animal care services. Feeding, keeping our animals healthy and caring for them is important to us. Your sponsorship goes toward the costs of feed, husbandry and veterinary care for one of our animals.
Get your application in before December 13th in time to receive your welcome pack for Christmas.