Looking for our village for a very special little girl

My little girl has just turned six.

She has an infectious laugh, gives enormous hugs and has an answer for absolutely everything. I'm fairly sure there's a future politician living in our house.

She is curious, affectionate and full of her own ideas. She also needs some extra help to find her feet in the world, and I'm asking for yours.

I'm raising €7,500 to keep her in the small school where she is settling, and to get her the therapy and dedicated support she needs through to March.

Just the two of u

We moved from Ireland to Malta to begin a new chapter together. We were building a life here, finding familiar faces and making a home, and things were going well.

She had already had treatment for her vision in Ireland. She also experiences the world intensely through her senses, so everyday things can ask far more of her than people realise.

Since we moved, she has received further diagnoses, and more assessments are under way. I'm keeping the details private because this is her story, and one day she can decide how much of it to tell.

What I can say is that she needs more support than we expected, both at school and at home.

Caught between two countries

She is an Irish citizen living in Malta. Right now, each country is pointing to the other as responsible for her support and funding. While that goes back and forth, the red tape eats up time she doesn't have to spare.

I've decided not to let her wait while the paperwork is argued over. I've taken matters into my own hands.

Keeping her where she's beginning to settle

Her school is small, with a more intimate classroom and arrangements for extra support. For her, that matters enormously.

Change is hard for her. Familiar teachers, familiar faces and a routine she knows give her something steady while we work out what else she needs. Moving her into a much bigger classroom now, just as she's starting to settle, would undo that.

School is only part of the picture. She also needs occupational therapy and support that carries through into everyday life at home.

Why it has to be the right person

My daughter doesn't go with just anyone. Trust takes time to build with her, and it has to be built carefully.

When she becomes dysregulated, it can last for days. So even a kindly offered hour's break can cost her far more afterwards. Friends have been wonderful and want to help, but for now the help she needs is consistency.

In many ways, I am her executive function. I hold the routines, the transitions and the hundred small things that keep her day steady. A dedicated carer she can build a real relationship with over time is what will let her feel safe with someone else, and let me work.

Why I'm asking now

I'm her only day-to-day carer, with no family here to share the load.

This year I've stepped back from my business to get her settled, attend appointments and put the right support in place. With these supports, I can restructure my work so I can keep providing for us and keep our little family moving forward.

Right now, I need help to bridge the gap.

What your donation will do

Stage one: €7,500 by the end of December, to carry her through to March

- €3,500 keeps her in her current school & home emnironment

- €2,500 covers private occupational therapy and resources for home

- €1,500 goes towards a dedicated carer, someone she can build a lasting relationship with

Stage two: around €5,000 to €7,500 to carry her through to June and the end of the school year

Stage two should cost less because her home resources will already be in place. I'm being honest that I can't give an exact figure yet. It depends on any further diagnoses and how she responds to her therapy. I'll post updates here as recommendations come in and support is put in place, so you can see where your money has gone.

Once her OT recommends specific resources for home, I'll also share a small wish list here for anyone who'd rather give something tangible.

I only want to raise what she needs. Once we reach that, I'll close the fundraiser.

Reaching June gives her continuity while I make a careful decision about our future: whether her needs are best met back in Ireland or here in Malta, where we've made our home. I want that decision to be guided by what's right for her, with time to plan it properly.

Could you be part of her village?

This isn't what I imagined when we moved. But this is where we are, and I want to give my daughter the care she needs now.

She is a little girl with birthday excitement, big questions and a laugh I wish you could hear. She deserves the chance to settle, learn, make friends and feel understood.

Your help means familiar teachers, therapy appointments, a carer she trusts, and time to put the pieces together without another upheaval in her life.

- If you can donate, thank you. Every amount helps.

- If you can share this, thank you. Sharing reaches people I never could on my own.

- If you know an experienced carer, therapist or specialist in Malta who works with sensory and additional needs, or you've navigated Irish–Maltese support systems yourself, I'd love to hear from you.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. For this very special little girl, I'm looking for ours.

Thank you,

Aoife