October 9, 2023
Karolina’s Dream Day
We met Karolina in May. She greeted us with her warm and charming smile and, after only a few minutes of communication, a great desire arose to fulfil all the dreams of this child. Karolina suffers from Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), sometimes called Louis-Bar syndrome, a rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder that limits her life in many ways.
Karolina loves animals. She has ridden a pony before and has always liked it so we decided to organise her meeting with the horses.
Animal therapy…
We started the day in the Suuresti stable. We were told how horses live and shown how to take care of them. Everyone could try their hand at combing them and, of course, at horse riding. Karolina was a little scared at first because it was not a pony, but an adult horse. Her sister Viktoria, on the other hand, was not afraid at all.
At Roosioksa Hobby Farm, a wonderful place, an encounter with more animals awaited us. We met foxes, wild goats, lynxes, swans, owls, and many other animals there. The cutest were the little rabbits that Karolina really liked to hold and feed. She would have stayed with the rabbits even longer if she could. The farm animals were also given awesome names – there was the seagull Sipsik, the snow owl Hedwig, the lynx Toby, and the baby goat Bembi.
…and art therapy
At the next destination, we were warmly welcomed by the artist Piret. From the very first meeting, we remembered that Karolina likes Elsa from Frozen, and it was Elsa who came to visit the girl in the art studio to spend time with her. Karolina tried to draw a picture with her fingers without the help of a brush, although Elsa was happy to help her. Another artist, Karolina’s sister, painted her picture with her father. Everyone was very satisfied with the work done.
The day was already approaching noon, which meant that Pizza Wabrik was waiting for us to enjoy a wonderful lunch with the family. The selection of pizzas was so large that it was difficult to find the best one, so we decided to choose different ones and try as many as possible. Everything was delicious and appetites were satisfied!
And, of course, a few gifts were waiting for Karolina as well. Her mom had secretly mentioned that Karolina likes LOL dolls. We gave them to her, and she was very happy. The gift bag also included the opportunity to visit Lotteland with the family and tickets to the show “Lotte and the Lost Santa”. Their family has developed a nice tradition of visiting some great shows before Christmas so the tickets were the icing on the cake.
Everyone was very satisfied with the day spent together. Karolina and her unforgettable smile warmed the hearts of all the volunteers for a long time. We were very happy to meet her and fulfil her dreams.
Emotions of the day
“Thank you so much for being there! You bring joy to children! The happy smile did not leave my child’s face even after the end of the day. It was all about a dream day!! And for me as a mother, the most important thing is the sparkle in my child’s eyes, and it moves me to tears. A hundred thousand thanks for your hard work!”
– Karolina’s mother
Learn more about Karolina’s day
Organiser
Estonian charity fund Minu Unistuste Päev
Supporters and cooperation partners
IPOPI (financial supporter), Estonian Association of Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency, PR stuudiod, Skizze Eesti, Roosioksa Hobitalu, Suuresti Tall, Pizza wabrik, Delfi, Linde Europe North, Animator Show, Lottemaa, Kalev
Volunteers from Minu Unistuste Päev
Project manager Oksana Muraškina, Aivi Vaga, Marina Parts, Reelika Paart, language editor Elge Lind