C/O 23 Barrinton Ave
Hull
Humberside
HU5 4AZ
United kingdom

NB: this is a forwarding address for the Pal, we do NOT disclose home addresses

Email Pal

Samara M's Parents/Guardians

Paula and Lee

Samara M's Siblings

Pal T.J, Shaleise 15/04/1994 likes lilac, reading, drawing, making cards, playing on Nintendo DS

Samara M's Interests

Card making, glittering, drawing, modelling clay, Nintendo DS, sparkles

Samara M's Favourite Colour

Pink Sparkles

Is Samara M able to read?

Yes

Is Samara M able to use hands?

Yes

Is Samara M visually/hearing impaired?

No

Does Samara M suffer from any developmental delay?

Yes

Details of developmental delay.

Now she is 11 you can see she is behind peers, but she just goes at a slower pace

Favourite type of post?

Letters

Story written 2007

Sammie was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of 2 when I noticed she wasn't developing as quickly as other children her age. We thought it was because she was born 8 weeks early.

Sammie eventually learned to walk but walked on her toes and has to wear splints and special shoes. She had an operation at 8 to stretch her leg shorter than the left leg and now wears a built up shoe.

She now has a curved spine and suffers from low self-esteem. Sammie can not run like other children and often feels left behind, but Sammie still has a brilliant sense of humour and laughs at herself.

Her favourite thing to do is craft, especially if there is glitter involved and she loves to make cards for people to cheer them up.

Update 15th April 2008

Samara has been having a really bad time, so sorry for not updating this page for a while, but I have been focusing all my attention on her and she seems to have finally turned a corner. She has been happy, smiling and cheeky, back to her normal self and I have to say it is such a relief.

We have decided not to let her have a big operation as there was a good chance she would be left unable to walk, so we really didn't want to take the chance and go through with it. When she is older, if she still needs it doing, it will be her choice. 

I wanted to thank each and every single person that have sent her letters, gifts and postcards these last few months while she has been down. There is too many to name here, but I just wanted you all to know she is very grateful for it and her bedroom is now full of post and she sits reading it everyday. She even got a cross stitch kit which she was over the moon with.

She joked yesterday that she could wallpaper her room with all her cards and letters now and that it has made her so happy. When you think back to how upset she was a few months ago I never thought she would be back to her normal self and post pals have helped a great deal with this, by showing her that people really do care and are genuine. 

Sammie is finally happy at school and the bullying seems to have stopped. We are trying to teach her to tell the time now and she is so funny with it - she said I want a digital watch then I don't have to bother. She also had some more good news, her film has won another award and she won another amount of money which again she has put in her bank account for when she is older. She wants to be a vet's nurse and is taking a real interest in animals at the minute.

Thank you once again.

Update 30th January 2008

Sammie has had a brain MRI and stayed awake for it, she didn't like it very much but at least we will get some answers. She has been this morning to see the specialist and he wants to break both her hips and reset them with pins in, but it will mean almost a year of her legs and then it may not even work. Sammie would love to have this done as she thinks she will be normal afterwards, but we have some serious thinking to do before we reach any decision.

Sammie’s 12 year old best friend has died and she went to the funeral. I felt she should go to get some kind of closure and she said it was nice hearing about her growing up, but she has been very upset and asked a lot of questions. I think I have explained it the best I can, but she is still very upset about her friend and says she will never forget her and I have encouraged her to start witting her feelings down.

Fingers crossed that next month is a happier one for all of us. Due to the unhappy time Sammie has had lately, this site has been a Godsend at cheering her up and making her smile, so thank you to everyone that has taken a moment of their time to do this; it really does make a huge difference.

Update 3rd January 2008

Sammie started the month sad because she lost her Nanna, but with the excitement up to Christmas she soon got over it. She has had the best Christmas ever and was showered with gifts and cards and was so impressed that, in her words, special people had bothered to send her a gift and a Christmas card.

She has met her aunty and has been to stay at her house and she was telling her aunty how special people had sent her cards and gifts and said they must be people that are angels!

She got so excited on Christmas morning she didn't feel well at all. Her pile of presents was huge and she was still opening gifts at 1pm. She said she took her time as she wanted to appreciate each and every thing she got.

Sammie wants to thank each and every person that sent her a Christmas gift. She had a really good time and loved being part of Post Pals this Christmas.

As her mum, i have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of people we do not even know. Sammie thought she was alone in her disability and has really enjoyed the last year of receiving letters and gifts from people and this has helped her self esteem no end, thank you. Here is a link to our photo album of the children with their gifts, thank you to everyone. http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/poppoppet/Christmas%20day%202007/?start=all

Update 2nd December 2007

Sammie has had some good news. The animation she made won a children's BAFTA and she has also won another cash prize. The school has asked if we would mind them showing it and putting it in their newsletter, so we said yes. If it highlights disability, I don't mind where it goes.

Update 30th October 2007

Samara has had an imp month - which means she has spent most of it in her room having time out! She is growing up so fast and has been so cheeky. Whilst most mums would be annoyed at the change in behaviour, to me this proves that she is happy, confident and back on track. She has even had a detention...

Her health has been really good and she has also put on more weight, so things are on the up for our little imp!

Thank you everyone who sends Samara post, it has really changed her life getting letters and cards from people she doesn't know and some from far away. It has restored my faith in people.

Update 10th October 2007

Sammie is learning to play the oboe. It’s meant to be a nice sound, but it’s awful! The parrot even joins in with her!

Sammie has been to see the specialist again. She will have to go for a brain scan and to see a surgeon as her feet are curving, so it’s looking more and more likely that she will need yet another operation.

The film that Sammie made has been nominated for a BAFTA award so she was really excited at the thought it might win! Fingers crossed it will! Unfortunately we couldn't make it all the way to London as there were no trains home when it finished, but she doesn't mind.

She is really enjoying her new school and they are so good with her and are always phoning me up and asking my opinion. She has even made some friends and is so happy, the difference in her this month is amazing...

Thanks to Becky for writing to Sammie and thanks to Julie whose cards always make her smile.

Update 17th August 2007

Sammie is going from strength to strength and has put on some more weight now, so things are looking good. She has now been allowed to take Kei-Kei to agility and help train her up and she is even trying with Foggy now (Foggy is a dog we are training up for Canine Partners who train dogs up to work with disabled people). Her behaviour is getting quite impish again so I know she is back to herself and the Sammie we all love and know... 

We are facing yet another battle this time for a dropped kerb but we keep going and Sammie now understands we do this for her not because of her. 

Sammie also had her eyes re tested and needs some new glasses, so she was happy too...

Thank you to Becky who always makes Sammie smile and a thank you to Helen for the crafting things she sent Sammie, she had a great time doing them.

Update 1st July 2007

Samara has now been removed from school and is getting home schooling until we can find another school to taker her. She was suffering from bullying and seemed to be relieved that it is all over now…

For the first time in months she is now eating and sleeping so in my heart I know we have done the right thing for her, it’s just a shame it had to come to this...

Samara is a very happy little girl at the minute, and we had a letter from London to say the animation she made "The Wrong Trainers" has just won four more awards making that five in total. She got a cash prize; bless her she told me she was saving it in her bank account for college...

Samara has had lots of letters and its great knowing that she isn’t alone and people from all over the world are witting to her.

Update 26th June 2007

Sammie is having a bad time at the moment and is very upset, but I am trying hard to make her feel better. She is going to be home schooled for a while.

Thank you to Sue for emailing me and Sammie as her kind words were really nice. Sammie appreciates every email she receives, so thank you to all the people who have taken time to email her - it makes her feel really special.

Update 10th May 2007

Sammie had an operation yesterday to remove adult teeth from her bones in her mouth. She was in at 7.30am and didn't get home until 8pm. Her face was very swollen like a hamster and she is very sore. She is in her room chilling out but is bored...

The specialist phoned me up and told me Sammie’s results from her MRI scan had come back ok, so she has got the all clear for another 2 years. This is brilliant news because it means she isn’t getting any worse.

Thank you to our friend Becky who is keeping Sammie’s hopes up. Again, I think this service is brilliant and to know people out there really care is amazing, thank you for your help in making my child feel extra special.

Update 7th April 2007

Sammie went for an MRI scan last week. She was very nervous and they offered to make her sleep while they did it and she told the nurse that she was brave enough to do it awake! She did and it went really well and we should have the results next month.

I was cutting my hair for Canine Partners (a charity that trains dogs up to work with disabled people) as I was getting sponsored for it and Sammie decided she would have her hair cut too. This was a big decision for her and I didn't think she would do it, but she even shamed her big sister Liddie in to doing it. We cut off 8 inches of Sammie’s hair and Liddie cut of 7 inches. We raised a total of £174 and we are sending the hair to Little Princesses, and she looks so gorgeous with shorter hair...

Post Pals has made such a huge difference to her. She was so tired of just getting appointments through the post and it does make her smile and feel important. Thank you for her birthday cards and gifts and a big thank you to Becky Bulter who has been witting to Sammie and sent her a poem book, she loves it... The sparkly stickers were also a big hit, and thanks to Julie who made an Easter card for them all with chocolate on. They don't want to eat them - they are that nice!