Aimee Otworowski- food for survival

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Hi, I'm Aimee, and I love all things fun. My mummy, daddy, and big brother Daniel tell me I'm the happiest and bravest 5-year-old little girl.

I decided to say hi to the world on Boxing Day 2013, which was cheeky because I wasn't supposed to arrive until March! Being born 12 weeks early, I had a very tough start. With very poorly lungs from being premature and another underlying problem not yet known, I spent my first year of life mostly in the hospital, even missing my first birthday and Christmas.

At 6 months old, the doctors finally found out what was wrong!

I have a very rare type of lung disease called Pulmonary Interstitial Glycogenosis, or PIG for short! They diagnosed this when I had my lung biopsy while I was in a coma for the first time. It's the only way this condition can be diagnosed, and I managed to survive it!

Having poorly lungs meant I found it very difficult to feed, so I eventually ended up with a tube in my tummy for my milk to help me grow. Because of this, I missed all the weaning windows when I was supposed to be learning to eat and drink.

I made so many friends with all the doctors and nurses who looked after me, but it's not what I had planned. I didn't get to go home with my mummy, daddy, and big brother Daniel when I was born, but their daily visits with massive kisses and cuddles made me so happy.

I'm at school now with all my friends and big brother, and I get to do everyday fun things that 5-year-olds do, like dancing, singing, riding my bike, playing football in the garden with my brother. But the only thing I still can't do is eat! I've grown quite fond of my feeding tube, which was not meant to happen! I do really, really want to learn to eat. I'd love to eat school dinners with my friends, have tea parties at their houses, and even share an ice cream or two.

In Austria, there's a very successful specialist feeding clinic (with an over 90% success rate) that can help me learn to eat and teach my family all the key skills and knowledge they need to help make it a success. I'd really, really love to go.

Please, can I ask for your kind support? I need to learn to eat to keep growing and thriving.

By helping Tree of Hope raise lots of money to send me and my mummy to Austria, you will be making all of our dreams come true.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you like it.

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives. If, in those circumstances, we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of the child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.