Hazel’s transition

Hazel is a happy and loving two-year-old who likes learning to play with her baby sister, Winter. Living with Global Developmental Delay, Hazel has little self-awareness which has impacted her ability to walk and climb.

Hitting her second birthday, Hazel was now ready to upgrade from a cot to a single bed. This transition was a huge milestone for Hazel. Jade wanted to ensure Hazel would be safe sleeping in a single bed on her own. They were looking for a solution where Hazel had support from all sides of her bed, preventing her from toppling over.

“At night, Hazel goes all over the bed and wouldn’t have a clue. Because of her little awareness, we needed to find a solution to help her,” said Jade.

Freedom Solutions Australia volunteer, Davy, was able to create a custom bed surround to keep Hazel safe in bed and add an accessible door so that Jade could attend to Hazel and change the bed sheets more easily. Jade appreciated Davy’s personal touch to Hazel’s bed which was a set of doorknobs with flowers.

“Davy was helpful, consulting with me throughout the entire process. He did little things that meant a lot, like blending everything together and installing a personalised knob which is something my grandma would have. It came from a good place and it was genuine. I loved it!” said Jade.

Jade recently joined our donors for morning tea at the Freedom Solutions Australia Assistive Technology Centre in Northmead. Hazel, baby Winter and grandma Karen came along too. She shared Hazel’s story and her experience working with Davy to provide a perfect solution for Hazel. Jade also spoke affectionally of Freedom Solutions Australia and the life-changing service that has enabled Hazel to safely transition to a grown-up’s bed, just like her peers, and mark a significant milestone in Hazel’s life.

“Everything was great, and it was just what I was after,” said Jade.