More kids like Hailey Somerfield will learn to walk and talk through Telethon funding for Rocky Bay

It is every parent’s dream to watch their child take their first steps, but for Kathryn Somerfield it was a moment she never thought would come.

Two-year-old Hailey Somerfield is one of only five children in Australia, and just 600 globally, to be diagnosed with KAT6A syndrome — a rare neurodevelopmental disorder.

Her mum said the rare and complex nature of the disorder made it challenging to diagnose and access the right support.

“The syndrome was only picked up for her last year in November. There is a whole list of things that can affect her like heart, development, speech defects and also feeding issues,” Ms Somerfield said.

“On top of that she has some rare symptoms that unfortunately she has picked up on, including epilepsy and aches and pains in her muscles.”

The long list of symptoms meant Ms Somerfield thought her daughter would never walk or talk, but through Rocky Bay’s Early Start Intervention Program — funded with the help of Telethon donations — the toddler was thriving within months.

Hailey used to shy away from tasks such as touching objects, turning pages, and even taking baths, but thanks to the program she now tackles these activities head on.

“In the space of a month of seeing a physio she was walking and after seeing a speech therapist she said her first word within a couple of months,” Ms Somerfield said.

“It’s not huge things but the small changes mean a lot. They are big to us because we didn’t think she would ever say her first word and didn’t think she would ever walk.”

Thanks to Telethon funding, more children like Hailey will be able to learn life-changing developmental skills through the early intervention program.

Rocky Bay physiotherapy consultant Cristina Lee said Telethon donations would go towards expanding the program including screening tools.

“Rocky Bay is developing a comprehensive developmental screening tool and education package,” she said.

“The package will empower early years service providers to effectively identify children displaying signs or risk factors of developmental delays and rare diseases.

“The Early Skills Developmental Package represents a significant step forward in supporting timely identification and referral of at-risk children.”