Micaela
Micaela
Micaela is 10 and helps her family with caring for her brother who is disabled and non-verbal, she is very creative and loves performing for her mum in the living room.
She received a well-being fund grant for Stagecoach classes which have enabled her to grow in confidence and develop new skills, her teachers have stated she is now ‘coming out of her shell’ and her confidence has grown immensely.
We spoke to her mum Gabriella to find out more.
how does micaela help at home?
Micaela is an amazing help in so many ways at home. When her brother is struggling she knows exactly how to help him feel better, speaking slowly and calmly. She helps with chores and generally anything needed to care for her brother.
Her responsibilities around the house such as helping with cleaning and chores, have stopped her from being able to do things seen as normal for other children. For example, a family meal at a restaurant is not something we as a family can do often, going out can be seen as a ‘military operation’, her brother can only eat specific things and it can be difficult to mobilise to places. Micaela is such a help and never complains. Micaela matured very quickly in comparison with others her age. It is a lot of responsibility for someone so young.
Her teachers have noted how helpful she is at school also. Some of her classmates have disabilities, they now come to her for help as they know she is very calm, and always enjoys helping them. Other children tend to shout, but Micaela knows how to react and respond to help them in a way they are comfortable. I am very proud of her.
How has honeypot helped micaela?
Micaela has attended a few respite breaks with Honeypot and received the well-being fund.
When Micaela took her first trip to Honeypot house in Hampshire I was really worried, she hadn’t had the opportunity to spend a night away from the family home before. However, she now can’t wait to return and come back with so many stories. She was grinning from ear to ear.
““Micaela is a tremendous young lady, mature, kind, lots of fun and very talented. She is always so respectful and gets on with everyone – a star. “”
The well-being fund has given Micaela the opportunity to try these extracurricular activities she wouldn’t have the chance to try otherwise. We loved the classes online throughout lockdown. At first, she didn’t want to turn her camera on, however, after the end of the first session, she was confident enough to put it on and loved it, especially the creative ones really helped her. The Honeypot team are exceptional!
“I can’t stress enough how thankful we are to Honeypot; the team is the best, so approachable, there are no words to say how fortunate we are to have Honeypot’s support!
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Micaela is currently attending Stagecoach and achieved a distinction in her most recent assessment, with amazing feedback from her teachers.
The course has enabled her to believe in herself in a space away from home. The focus is on her personal development, sometimes the focus can be mainly on her brother.
She would always perform and practice in front of me at home, to get see her on stage performing, seeing her full of joy is amazing.
Stagecoach is very expensive, Honeypot has given her this creative outlet to do her own thing which we are so grateful for.
At stage coach she is one of the youngest, with the older children around 15. I like to think she is following in her mum’s footsteps with the Latin American dance styles. She is currently auditioning for her school production of Greace and has more performances planned for Stagecoach later in the year.
Micaela’s teachers in school have noticed the difference, stating she is ‘coming out of her shell’ and achieving amazing results in her school work. She most recently got awarded a gold star and the headteacher’s award. She’s excelling in school with this new confidence.
“The praise at Stagecoach has made her confidence grow a lot, she now is more confident in bouncing back if she doesn’t pass a maths test etc.”
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