22q Can Do! Tracey Trustee

Hello everyone, my name is Tracey Hennighan, I am married, Mum to Cerys (17), and Ryan (non 22q), and I am the latest member of the trustee team. I am a qualified childcare practitioner with a plethora of experience in my chosen career, in addition I am currently undertaking a degree in Childhood and Youth Studies. I like to help people when I can and have historically helped at the annual Max Appeal events and organised valuable meet ups (which both take lots of work), and now feel I can extend that help to the next level, and help Max Appeal run an amazing Charity, without whom I would have been lost.

I have also undertaken several fundraising events since joining Max Appeal, such as -a toddler-thon, pampered chef evening, an activity fun day, cake sales, cake decorating, raffles, and my latest fundraising event, my twin sister's idea, was decorated baubles for Christmas, which she and I did.

Another fundraising event I participated in, with two 22q mum-friend's, and several more, was the Great North Run. Cerys was my inspiration for doing the Great North Run in 2014, to raise much needed funds for Max Appeal, the thought of what she has endured, and survived, with a smile and a caring nature, gave me the power of mind, over my body, to complete the run. I gained a great sense of accomplishment, for myself for completing it, and for raising money, which helps fund events like 22q at the zoo.

Cerys was diagnosed at 4y 6m, via her submucous cleft palette. She is medically complicated, like lots of our 22q cuties. She has educational difficulties/disabilities, as well as social emotional difficulties and generalised anxiety disorder (plus more, like all of our 22q's), and we have had our fair share of struggles with schools and the Local Authorities including Tribunals. She has done amazingly well in her latest alternative education provision called Red Balloon of the Air, and I can't sing their praises enough.

We focus on Cerys's strengths as much as possible, which are the love of animals, art, Anime, computer games and cooking (with support), and her kindness.

So, from me to you - just keep putting one foot in front of the other, use your support networks, and ask for help, we are human (it's ok to have a crisis, we all have our breaking points), we know our children best, and lots of us will know more about 22q than the doctors, because we live in 24/7. Plus, Max Appeal have provided the consensus document, various other documents and information packs with knowledge to guide us in our journeys with our 22q heroes of all ages. They continuously research, improve and update these, to provide the best support for all of us, which takes an incredible amount of time and work, and I aim to help wherever I can.

(Feb 18)