Lilien was born with a visual impairment that affected every part of her early development. Her world was a blur - unpredictable, overwhelming, and often frightening. As she grew, it became clear that her challenges went beyond sight; her walking was significantly delayed, she struggled with extreme anxiety around new people, and her meltdowns could last for hours. Her parents searched for help, but the right support often felt just out of reach.

I don’t like to ask for help. It’s always my last option but I think I was lost since Lilien was born and I ignored the signs.

Discovering Playskill
The family first learned about Playskill through the visual impairment team. A Covid lockdown delayed starting, but Lilien finally joined aged 4½ years old. In the older age group, starting later than others (Playskill serves aged 0-5 years) - yet the impact was immediate and profound.

Although I was worried about also having a newborn when Lilien started, I was welcomed with the little one too, and it was never an issue.

Facing the challenges together
When Lilien began attending, the family carried a long list of concerns: severely delayed walking, general developmental delays, high anxiety around unfamiliar people, frequent lengthy meltdowns, and behavioural challenges that made daily life overwhelming. Behind all of this, her mum was quietly fighting her own battles.

As many challenges as we faced with Lilien, I had my own monsters to deal with.

Struggling with depression, housing insecurity, the demands of a newborn, and the complexity of navigating support for Lilien, often without reliable transport.

The Playskill team saw the strain. And they stepped in.

Holding the family through crisis
The encouragement from the Playskill team didn’t end at the session door. They checked in between sessions, offered emotional support, and helped the family advocate for crucial services.

Playskill’s Parent Support Worker, Lucinda, stepped in to support the housing issues directly, helping the family navigate months of stalled processes.

It took over a year, lots of tears, lots of help - but finally we had a breakthrough.

By Summer 2023 Lilien graduated from Playskill, but Lucinda continued to provide support Shortly after, an NHS occupational therapy assessment shortly triggered a cascade of change.

Within weeks, the family had been granted a new home, a school place for Lilien and a Motability car.

It was a lot to process…but for the first time, everything was GOOD.

A breakthrough no one expected
After years of delayed mobility, fear of walking, and countless attempts to support her progress, something astonishing happened – Lilien started walking! "Something just clicked."

She began walking independently around the house and in her school, completely unprompted, and without any sign beforehand that she was close to this milestone.

We couldn’t believe it. We were beyond happy and grateful.

Her parents had chosen not to force physiotherapy, trusting that Lilien would move at her own pace. Playskill helped the whole family breathe again.

Lilien's mum, Cintia, reflects now with gratitude and relief:
I was reluctant to go to Playskill because I knew it would be hard. But they heard me. Finally, someone listened.

With continued support from the perinatal team and newfound stability at home, she has been able to reclaim her own wellbeing too.

Today, Lilien walks through her new home, plays in the garden, enjoys school and grows more confident every day. Still part of the Playskill family as a graduate member, Lilien and her family still attend events, which means they can enjoy time around other families in similar situations.

I am utterly grateful that when I was at my lowest, Playskill saw it and helped. This meant the world to me. I hope other parents and children can have the same results we did.