Tilly Smiles: inspiring disabled children
Following on from the inspiring story of how twelve-year-old, Tilly Griffiths, never lets her disability get in the way of adventure, we’re thrilled to hear about Tilly’s book, Tilly Smiles, and how she hopes it will encourage other disabled children to be adventurous.
Despite having Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Tilly has never said that it is a shame she cannot do an activity, but just wonders how she can do it. Her chair is instrumental in enabling her to take part in seemingly impossible tasks, and allows her to achieve her goals. It was donated to Tilly by Caudwell Children at a cost of £20,000. The following year Tilly created a piece of artwork to auction at a Caudwell Children’s Ball as a thank for this life changing gesture.
In order to ensure that another child would be able to benefit in the same way, she cheekily put a reserve on the artwork of £20,000. She told the audience that she had based it on a butterfly because, like her favourite story The Hungry Caterpillar, when she received the chair, she felt like she had turned into a beautiful butterfly. The audience was in stunned silence and then a bidding frenzy began and Tilly raised a staggering £330,000. Since then, Tilly has gone on to raise over £2million for Caudwell Children.
Always thinking abou
For this work, and all that she has done to raise money for charity, Tilly has been awarded a Pride of Britain Child of Courage Award. Bruce Forsythe presented her with the trophy and has since become an Ambassador for the Caudwell Children and written the forward of Tilly Smiles.
Tilly has appeared on Daybreak to promote the book, and has spoken to many a large audience in support of a variety of charities including Caudwell Children, Donna Louise Hospice, Special Matters and Rudyard Sailability. Each time Tilly speaks it is without notes but instead from her heart and therefore has all the more profound effect.
By Jackie Griffiths
Make sure you read Tilly’s full story of her adventure, from rock climbing to ballet.
Let us know if you have a story to tell by emailing us at editor@disabilityhorizons.com, tweeting us @DHorizons or sending us a Facebook message.
I’ve just woken up with an aching hip and sore stump and was feeling a bit sorry for myself, I am after all very old, need to lose some weight and am stressing about whether Everton will, as we deserve too, beat Liverpool in next weeks FA Cup semi final. So a bit grumpy and fed up but then I opened my email and there was the latest message from DH with this piece about you Tilly. What a star you are, or as us Evertonians say, “get in there girl ” !! You make the rest of us look bad Tilly. Your an inspiration but even more, you get things done and make others sit up and take notice. Wonder what your going to do next ? Whatever it is you will smash it because your a winner. Cheers, Mark
My award
winning children’s book. “A Lesson My Cat Taught Me,” is finally available
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UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/1452810885
GERMANY http://www.amazon.de/1452810885
SPAIN http://www.amazon.es/1452810885
FRANCE http://www.amazon.fr/1452810885
ITALY http://www.amazon.it/1452810885
And of course it’s still available on http://www.amazon.com/1452810885
The lesson my book tries to convey is the acceptance of others for
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If you would like to follow me and my
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Saul Weber
http://www.twitter.com/catlesson