Help Ami & Taya Walker Play and Stay Safe!

Ami Giannikos is organizing this fundraiser.

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Give Ami & Taya a Safe Place to Play

Living with a rare condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) is relentless, but for sisters Amielle (12) and Taya (7), summer is the hardest season of all. The condition makes sunlight dangerously toxic to their skin, increasing their cancer risk by 10,000 times. As they face their fifth hot Sydney summer since diagnosis, the intense UV keeps them trapped indoors, watching life happen from behind windows while other children run free. Their only chance to play outside is after sunset, forcing a heartbreaking daily choice between their sleep and their freedom.

The Walkers have worked so hard to make their home safe and to give the girls as normal a life as possible — but they still dream of more. They dream of giving them more than just safety; they dream of giving them a real childhood. Without suncream, gloves, full-length tops, pants, hats with UV-safe plastic over their faces, socks, shoes. Without fear. A place where the girls can feel the grass under their feet, the wind on their faces, do cartwheels, shoot hoops, splash in water fights, and simply be children in their own backyard.

That’s why the Walkers have designed a council-approved versatile UV-safe backyard haven. It will transform their backyard into the only place in the girls' lives where they can safely play outside while the sun is up. It will double their safe space in their own home, let them play outdoors any time of day, and create a place where friends can come over and join in without complicated precautions.

This project isn’t just about building shade — it’s about giving these girls freedom, social connection, and a childhood closer to what every child deserves. After exhausting other options, we turn to our community for help. Your support will give these girls the joy, movement, and freedom that every child deserves, before another precious summer is lost.

On behalf of Nick, Yvette, Quinlan, Amielle & Taya. Thank You!

Plans for the versatile, UV-safe backyard transformation