Every child deserves a voice, communication is a right!

On 13 July 2025 I will be running the Verbier X-Plore, a 28km long mountain trail with an elevation gain of over 1700m offering splendid views of the Mont Blanc. This is a challenge I took on 9 months ago when I was deep in despair. By doing so I am raising money in aid of Speech and Language UK (https://speechandlanguage.org.uk) and every donation will help children around the UK find their voice.

Our story:

Maya was born in Hong Kong in 2020, a beautiful healthy little girl. But as Maya grew and developed, I quickly realised that certain milestones weren't being met. My concerns were confirmed by the paediatrician and intense medical investigations begun. In 2023 Maya was diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia and more recently with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Both conditions are lifelong and probably linked to a neurogenetic condition.

Verbal dyspraxia is a neurological condition where the brain has trouble telling the muscles of the mouth how to move to say words correctly. The child knows what they want to say but the brain has trouble planning how to move their lips, tongue, and jaw to make the right sound. As a result speech is hard to understand with inconsistent mistakes and the child has trouble saying longer words or sentences.

DLD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how children acquire and use language significantly impacting a child's ability to understand, process, and use spoken and/or written language,

Speech is a basic human right. It is a core part of how people express themselves, connect with others, and participate in society. It is essential for dignity and identity, to access education, services and justice and allows people to feel included.

The journey following Maya's diagnosis has been a rollercoaster fuelled by uncertainty, guilt, sadness, anxiety and grief. So when I hit the wall of despair 9 months ago, I decided to take on the challenge of running the Verbier X-Plore to raise funds for families who are going through similar struggles. It is estimated that 2 million children in the UK are currently struggling with talking and understanding words. Speech and Language UK are working relentlessly by putting pressure on politicians to prioritise support for children with speech and language challenges and help educate the public about what life is like for 1 in 5 children struggling with talking and understanding words.

Having experience the process myself I can testify that every step is a fight: securing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), an appropriate school placement, adequate level of therapy and support, etc... These fights becoming all consuming and take a severe toll on families. We are fortunate enough to be able to fight Maya's case in court and support her with private speech therapy (8 sessions with the NHS spread over 2 years would not have cut it!). But many families do not have the means and resources to do so which is unfair because EVERY child deserves to be understood, valued, and empowered. Research has shown that only intense and early intervention will give these children a chance at finding their voice. Maya is living proof: intensive speech therapy sessions have enable her to now use basic words in very simple phrases and most of the time we can understand her. But the road is still long and we will take it one step at a time!

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

Speech and Language UK is the operating name of I CAN Charity, a registered charity in England and Wales (210031) and Scotland (SC39947), which is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (00099629).