This is Jackie on her 50th birthday, she was wearing an outfit she had chosen and bought especially for her party.  The occasion marked a number of firsts for us with Jackie; the first time Jackie wanted a birthday party, the first time she wanted to wear a beautiful dress, the first time she delighted in sharing this experience with others, asking them if they were happy. Over the years since BSE has been supporting Jackie, she has truly blossomed.  With the dedicated support of her live-in enablers, Jackie has steadfastly maintained a healthy diet, loosing over 30kilo in the process.  From being at risk of falls, Jackie is now happy to walk into town where she loves to talk to the people she meets in cafes or when on a picnic in the park.  At home, Jackie loves to practise dance routines and exercises to her music.

Jackie has surprised us in other ways too, and now participates in all domestic tasks, and rediscovered her skill at reading stories.  With BSE’s support, Jackie has also expanded her interests; we introduced Jackie to cross-stitch and painting by numbers, and she is really proud to hang her beautiful completed works on her wall.