Tilly was born with an extremely rare condition; so rare that nobody actually knows exactly what it is. She has no reflexes and no speech, she has epilepsy and poor motor skills with very little understanding and a tendency to be very violent.

Tilly’s mum Hana explains: “Without a diagnosis for Tilly, when she was born I was in a very scary, lonely and overwhelming place. Tilly uses a wheelchair as she tires very easily – life has not been easy for us.

Our time at the Circus Starr show was one of the few times we’ve been able to go out as a family. Tilly was screaming and shouting out, enjoying herself and no one judged us. We were in a big top full of families and children, all with their own special needs and it finally felt ‘right’. This was the community to which we belong – I realised that after this I could stop being so shy and overwhelmed in public and Tilly will be able to enjoy herself, just like other children.”

Take a look at Tilly’s picture taken at the show by Hana, a very proud mum!